Silver lining for Special Olympian

By Ed Merrison
FERNTREE Gully athlete Kerri Campbell lined her pockets with silver at October’s Special Olympics.
Kerri returned from the Gold Coast with three bocce silver medals from the Special Olympics Australia VIII National Games.
She was denied gold in the singles by Bayswater’s Tanya Dimitri, who partnered Kerri in the pairs event to make bocce a rich source of success for Victoria and for Knox in particular.
Denise Campbell, Kerri’s mother, said she was proud of her daughter’s performances in the team, pairs and singles events.
“We weren’t sure how the team would fare, but that was excellent,” she said.
Kerri, who has an intellectual disability, faced three long days of competition, but managed to enjoy herself in the fine weather.
At the closing ceremony at Dreamworld on Saturday, 7 October, organisers praised the spirit of the Special Olympians.
“They talked about how sportsmanlike they were and how they all helped each other,” Denise said.
“And how they wished other athletes were like that all the time as well.”