A Belmont woman has been chosen to play tenpin bowling for Australia in the upcoming Special Olympics.
Brooke Greenhalgh, 39, received the news before Christmas that she would represent Australia as a bowler in Germany’s Special Olympics during June 17 to 26.
Mother Carmell Greenhalgh said tenpin bowling and Special Olympics Barwon had greatly changed her daughter’s life.
“Brooke has an intellectual disability, and she was one that wouldn’t talk to anybody or socialise with anybody or anything like that,” she said.
“It has brought her out of herself, and she talks to people now, and she’s got that many friends and everything. It’s just absolutely wonderful.”
Mrs Greenhalgh said she was very proud of her daughter who had recently played in the October bowling nationals in Tasmania where she won one bronze and two gold medals.
She was also the only Geelong bowler picked to compete in Berlin.
“We’re going to stay on an extra week because Brooke goes with the team and she goes into a host family for four days and then they go into the village,” she said.
“She’s a little bit nervous about going away because she’s never been away by herself without us.
“When it’s finished she’ll come to us and we’ll stay on for an extra week and just go around and see things in Germany that she hasn’t been able to see.”
Mrs Greenhalgh said Brooke had been a part of Special Olympics Barwon for 15 years and that her daughter’s favourite part about the program was getting to socialise.
“I think it’s just going down meeting her friends, having chats and interacting with other people, that’s the best thing for her,” she said.
Mrs Greenhalgh said Brooke had received many achievements in her life, which included the Geelong Awards for People with Disability.
“She’s got stacks and stacks of medals,” she said.
Jena Carr
