26.02.2007

Indigenous team NZ bound

As part of national talent identification and development, 25 indigenous athletes will form the pilot group of the Jump Start to London 2012 program.

And eleven of those athletes have been selected to travel to New Zealand to compete at the NZ Track and Field Championships from March 2-4 as part of the extended competition opportunities for indigenous athletes.

As a warm-up for their overseas trip, three of the 11 travelled to Victoria to compete at the weekend's Track and Field Championships.

Peter Tuccandidgee, Otis Gowa and Brendan Peeters, all from far North Queensland where opportunities for elite competition are minimal, acquitted themselves very well against the likes of Telstra A-Series athletes Sean Wroe and Aaron Rouge-Serret.

Gowa placed fourth in the open mens 200m and fifth in the 100m while Tuccandidgee placed sixth in the open mens 200m.

Tuccandidgee, from Mossman where training and competition opportunities are scarce, is a ‘traditional’ Aboriginal with strong links to his heritage. He quotes turtle fishing and pig hunting as his pastimes, is a competent dancer and often dons the traditional red lap lap and dances out the Aboriginal stories.

Peeters, who placed eighth in the open mens discus, says that he is still trying to ‘find’ his event (the 800m!) Outside of athletics, he is a very talented indigenous artist and didgeridoo player.

Gowa, on the other hand, is an AFL Auskick development officer and travels the length and breadth of Cape York delivering programs. His hero is UK sprint star Linford Christie.

The trio is openly committed to training and striving for their best possible results.

The team, also including Duan Daley, Rodney Blair, Liam Gander, Ray Williams, Tammy Baart, Narelle Long, Jessica Peris and Peter Harrison, will head to New Zealand with Australian 110m hurdles record holder Kyle Vander-Kuyp (pictured), Athletics Australia’s Development Manager Sally McGrady and physiotherapist Claire Fritze on February 27.

Athletics Australia wishes the athletes the very best of luck.