17 April 2018

, Minister for Sport and Recreation

Team Tasmania Chasing Gold at the Special Olympics

Our very best wishes are with Tasmania’s twenty five athletes in the Special Olympics as competition begins today.

Tasmania is well represented at this year’s Special Olympics in Adelaide with our competitors taking part across five different sports.

The event is held every four years for athletes with an intellectual disability and draws thousands of competitors from Australia and New Zealand.

In fact, the inaugural Special Olympics Australia National Games in 1986 was held in Launceston and attracted more than two hundred competitors.

This year’s Team Tasmania will include:

• Basketball - Allan Bakes, Ashlee Stanwix, Daniel Joseph Thomson, Gabrielle Turley, Kirsten Harvey, Mitchell Leonard Huxley, Nicholas Heames, Nicholas James Carter and Ruby Tatnell
• Bocce - Barry Cross, Briana Roberts, Daniel Leon Marshall, Graeme Cross, Johnathon Goss, Kenneth Cotton and Penny Dishington
• Ten-pin Bowling -  Alan Kilmartin, Craig Hansen, Harley Miller, Michelle Heald, Nicole Michelle Furfaro, Peta-Jo Skurrie and Rodney Ayton
• Swimming - Aran Miller, Craig Davey, Leif Barstad and Philip De Jong
• Tennis - Connor Sheppard and Jordan Anthony Edwards.

There is a lot to be said about the Special Olympics Oath – “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt”.

We want to take this opportunity to wish all of our twenty five athletes the very best of luck as they take on the great honour of representing Tasmania over the next four days.

More Media Releases from

More Media Releases from the Minister for Sport and Recreation