“It’s a bit of a 360 moment”
Now that the FIFA fever has officially died down, more Aussies are casting their eyes upon the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
And our athletes continue to put on an amazing show by leading the games with seventeen gold, nine silver and thirteen bronze medals thus far.
Yesterday, one of Australia’s most inspiring para-swimmer, Vicky Belando, took home the bronze medal in the women’s 100m backstroke.
This wasn’t just a major win for Australia, but a significant achievement for Belando.
Before the medalist would ever dominate the pools of Glasgow, she was a two-year-old refugee sailing the Mediterranean towards Malta.
During the voyage, she would fall and drown in the sea, being brought back by the crew and her sister Destiny.
After a terrifying event like that, no one could anticipate that she would take to the swimming lanes of Glasgow.
“When I first started swimming, I was always scared of the water and now to be a bronze medallist for the Commonwealth Games is just absolutely amazing and hopefully there’s more to come”
“Coming into this event I wasn’t ranked high enough, but I ended up coming third”
“So anything can happen. Just believe”
Having lived an experience like that and living life with a missing bone from her lower leg, her achievement is truly inspiring to our multicultural country girt by sea.
Swimming and para-swimming events will continue to take place this week until the 29th, with more spectacles to be had in the Athletics discipline which starts today.
The Glasgow Commonwealth Games are set to finish on August 2, which could hopefully see Australia taking home the win once again after a smashing performance at the 2022 games.
