By Lia Bichel
Michael Spain, Jonathon Tripp, coach Marg Daly, Nathan Stewart, Robert Pator and Meredith Tripp are set for the Dwarf World Games in Ireland later this month. 32864
THEY’RE people with big talents – and Berwick residents are throwing their support behind them.
Residents and staff at Melville Grange Hostel in Berwick held a wine-and-cheese fundraiser night recently to support athletes from the Australian World Dwarf Games team who have received very little government funding for their trip this month.
About 100 people came and about $1200 was raised.
Melville Grange Hostel divisional therapist Di Henwood said the athletes were thrilled and it was much more than they expected.
“The residents were over the moon. It was great,” she said.
On July 24 the team will make its way to the World Dwarf Games in Belfast, Ireland, to compete in basketball, swimming, table tennis, bocce, sprinting and power lifting.
About 400 athletes from 15 different countries will be represented at the games held every four years – but this is the first time the team in green and gold will compete.
VicSport has given the team $5000 that covers the costs of one member of the 15-strong team.
Captain Meredith Tripp, 30, said she believed the low financial support deterred many from trying out for the team.
“Seventeen people tried out for the 15-member team,” she said.
“I think it’s because the lack of population, but also because everyone that tried out knew they would have to cover the costs of the trips themselves.”
Ms Tripp said she was pleased that Berwick residents were pitching in to help the team with costs.
“It’s great to see the community getting behind us and showing their support,” she said.
She also said such events helped break down prejudices and created awareness about their condition.
“Ever since I was young I had to battle society – people would always be staring,” she said.
“It made me learn to have tough skin.
Now people are looking at us for different reasons.”
The average height on the team is 4ft 2in (127cm) and the ages range from 16 to 42, but Ms Tripp said the team was extremely competitive and they took the competition very seriously, having been involved in intense training for the past 18 months.
The athletes from Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia have monthly international training sessions and weekly state training sessions as well as competitive matches on Saturdays.
“Our training is fierce. We’re in it to win it,” Ms Tripp said.
Coach Marg Daly said the team was looking forward to the challenge.
“It will be challenging because we don’t know anything about the other teams, but it could work to our advantage, because they don’t know anything about us,” she said.
Ms Daly said she hoped the athletes excelled and continued to play in future Dwarf Olympics Games, but would like to see more government support in the future.
