Australian Special Olympics team volunteer Greg Williams, 54, competing in sailing at the Paradise Point Sailing Club. Photo: Angela Bacic
Friday 11 November 2016
By Angela Bacic
Australian Special Olympics team volunteer Greg Williams, 54, and coach Chris Ruston, 72, are competing in the sailing events at Paradise Point Sailing Club at the Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games (JPPMG).
The pair are from Mudgeeraba and train at the Gold Coast Sailing Club in Varsity Lakes.
While Chris is a seasoned veteran of the sport and one of the masters games’ oldest competitors, Greg only recently became re-involved in the sport after his son, Jacob, who has an intellectual disability and is a member of the Australian Special Olympics team, started to learn to sail.
“I enjoy the Special Olympics because the volunteers get to participate with the athlete,” Chris said.
Greg won silver at the recent Special Olympics in Los Angeles with another athlete and he also saw his son win silver.
The success in Los Angeles has led them to compete against each other in sailing competition.
“I haven’t competed in any of these events before so I thought I would have a shot,” Greg said.
Earlier in the week both took home gold medals in their age division in the dinghy hansa event.
This is Chris’s third JPPMG and he believes the event is always a fun event.
“We all enjoy it. It’s not all about getting medals but having fun,” Chris said.
This afternoon the pair will compete against each other in the multihull division, an event they have rarely competed in.
“I haven’t raced this sort of boat before so I’m just here to get through the race and hopefully I can finish it,” Greg said.
“Just to survive is all I’m hoping to do.”
The first time Greg took out a catamaran was last weekend, and this will be his first time racing it.
“You might see me at the back,” he laughed.
Chris was not sure how he would go in today’s event, but thinks he will have fun either way.
“I’m sailing a different boat to give myself some competition,” Chris said.
Sailing will be held until the end of the JPPMG on Sunday 13 November.
The 10th biennial Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games is being held 5 – 13 November 2016 on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
The event showcases competition in 43 sports and is hosting 13,000 participants from Queensland, interstate and overseas.
