Imagine stepping onto the beach volleyball court to play your first ever competitive match and staring at you through the net is a five-time Olympian.
That was the shock for Darwin team Pen & Shazz today at the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast, playing their first round in the competition against Sydney Olympic 2000 gold medallist Natalie Cook and her partner former pro-player Sarah Maxwell.
For Penthea Carmichael it was her first time playing beach volleyball and her first year at the Pan Pacific Masters Games. She couldn’t believe that her first match in the women’s over- 35 division was against Natalie.
“We were like, what … she’s in our division,” said Penthea.
The final score for the match was 70-24 to the team dubbed The Nat & Sarah Show.
There was a similar scoreline in the men’s over-35 competition with Victorian team Andy & the Fatman winning the game 75-25.
Competing together at the Pan Pacific Masters Games for the past eight years, Andy Caarels and Adrian Vella are Victorian competition regulars.
Andy agrees the Masters Games isn’t about winning or losing, but he’s still out there to win.
“It’s a comfy mix, competitive but fun,” said Andy.
“Its good, you get to know most people and have fun.”
Matches continue tomorrow with finals for the men’s & women’s pair’s competition on Wednesday afternoon at Kurrawa Beach.
The new system was born here and filagra this is not something that we would like to see. Caverta although better in some elements but not important for us.
