Waikato athlete impresses in the pool

Waikato athlete impresses in the pool

Waikato’s Melissa Donoghue has a goal, to reach the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, and she is heading in the right direction. Melissa impressed in the pool today winning gold in the 100m Individual Medley and silver in the 50m Butterfly at the Special Olympics New Zealand National Summer Games 2017, New Zealand’s largest event for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Melissa loves the opportunity to compete in both the Special Olympics and Paralympics. Training six days per week she is definitely at home in the pool and training hard for the 2017 McDonalds Queensland Swimming Championships, a mainstream event.

“I am really happy with how I did in the pool today, I am training so hard and just love to swim”, said athlete and Special Olympics New Zealand Global Messenger, Melissa.

She completed her Global Messenger training in 2012, a series of workshops and training sessions teaching athletes new skills and confidence so they are ready to help spread the message and vision of Special Olympics and the benefits of being involved.

Melissa’s face is also a familiar one at the Games as she was chosen to front many of the marketing materials including buses around Wellington, which she loved being a part of.

The Special Olympics New Zealand National Summer Games 2017 are currently being held in Wellington (27 November – 1 December). More than 1250 athletes with intellectual disabilities from 42 Special Olympics Clubs and three schools are competing in swimming, athletics, basketball, bocce, equestrian, football, golf, indoor bowls, powerlifting, table tennis and tenpin bowling.

“The National Summer Games are the pinnacle New Zealand event for our athletes. The athletes competing have been training hard for many months and have also put a lot of time and effort into fundraising to get themselves to the event,” said Kathy Gibson, Chief Executive for Special Olympics New Zealand.

For more about the Games visit www.specialolympics.org.nz/NSG2017

ENDS

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