Katrina Hughes holds up her three medals after coming up trumps in the Special Olympics World Games.
By Sarah Schwager
A CRANBOURNE teenager has brought home silver and bronze from the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai.
Katrina Hughes’ family could not have been prouder after the track and field competitor came second in the 100 metres and the long jump at the world’s top event for athletes with disabilities.
Katrina, 16, also helped her 4 x 100m team win bronze.
Mum Theresa Hughes said she and husband Ron were still on cloud nine after returning from China over a week ago.
“I’ve been to the state games before but these were, wow, mind-blowing,” Mrs Hughes said.
“When she got the silver my legs were like jelly. I couldn’t sit down, I was in tears.”
Katrina, who has speech and learning difficulties, dedicated her performance to her former coach Henry, who died nearly two years ago.
Mrs Hughes said the death had been devastating for her daughter but had not slowed her determination.
“When she won the silver she had a bit of a tear in her eye,” she said.
“She said ‘I did it for Henry, Mum. I could hear him talking in my ear saying run, run’.”
Mrs Hughes said Katrina’s three brothers, Kenneth, 20, Shaun, 18, and Matthew, 14, were still coming to grips with their sister’s outstanding performance.
“They had tears in their eyes when she got back. I asked them what was wrong and they just kept saying, ‘Oh, I’ve got something in my eye’,” she said.
The three brothers are also accomplished athletes with Kenneth and Matthew also competing in track and field and Shaun a star on the cricket and rugby fields.
“They’re very proud of their sister, and very protective,” Mrs Hughes said.
Katrina returned home with her parents on Sunday 14 October and was back at Naranga Special School in Frankston the next day.
“I don’t know how she did it. I’m still jetlagged,” her mum said.
Mrs Hughes said Katrina had definitely been the most popular student at school that day.
She said the way Katrina was going, the family expected to see much more of her on the track.
“The way she’s going I definitely think she has a future career in it. She just loves running,” Mrs Hughes said.
“Her running at the games just blew me away. Her coach used to always say to her ‘when it comes to competition everything changes’. Katrina said to me ‘I’ve never ever forgotten that’.”
Katrina will be back training in the next couple of weeks for her next event with coaches David Dodson and Sue Evans.
