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Postie's Athens-bound
By: Silvia Van Orsouw
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Marathon Mailman: Sam Quinn aims to deliver as a member of the postal team. |
Photographs: Warren Reed
Maroondah Journal
29 June 2004
A HEATHMONT postie will put his own stamp on the Athens Olympics.
Sam Quinn, who was born deaf, will join the Australian Olympic team in Greece in August.
The 26-year-old is one of three posties who will sort and deliver mail to Australian athletes and handle all outgoing mail.
He was chosen from more than 1000 Australia Post staff to work in the Games Village for 10 days from August 10.
Mr Quinn, who works from the Dandenong Letters Centre, learned he had won the national Australia Post competition after an extensive application process.
"I found out through a text message. I couldn't believe I'd won. I kept saying to myself, `is this a dream or is this for real?."
"This is so huge.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one I'll never forget, and my thank goes to Australia Post."
While his role in Athens will be a step away from his regular duties, Mr Quinn is looking forward to the challenge and to seeing the world's best athletes in action.
" I'm hoping to see athletics, basketball and swimming. I wish I could have the time to see all the other sports.
This will be the first time I've been able to see the real live Olympics,'' an excited Mr Quinn said.
"I am really looking forward to meeting the Australian athletes. I also hope to bump into a deaf athlete, Terence Parkin, who is swimming for the South African team, as he won silver in the breaststroke at the Sydney Olympics."
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Taking a shot at the Games for a third time. |
Like Parkin, Mr Quinn was born with a severe hearing disability and predominantly uses sign language to communicate.
While he won't be competing at the Athens Olympics, Mr Quinn will get his chance to wear the green and gold next year.
As a member of Australia's deaf basketball team, he will compete at the 2005 Deaflympics in Melbourne.
It will be the third time the Deaflympics ambassador has competed,following his efforts in Rome in 2001 and Denmark in 1997.
For the past two seasons he has played locally with the Bulleen Boomers in the Victorian Basketball League.
He said that he never misses an opportunity to shoot hoops at the Maroondah Indoor Sports Centre in Ringwood.
[ Credits: Photographs and text courtesy of the Maroondah Journal, June 29, 2004 ]
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