Triple Olympian Melinda Gainsford-Taylor today returned to the Sydney Opera House steps where she carried the Olympic flame in 2000. Ten years on, along with treasured memories, she still has the torch and uses it to inspire Little Athletics stars and school children across NSW.
Triple Olympian Melinda Gainsford-Taylor today returned to the Sydney Opera House steps where she carried the Olympic flame in 2000. Ten years on, along with treasured memories, she still has the torch and uses it to inspire Little Athletics stars and school children across NSW.
Next week, on September 15, she hopes that young athletes will be among the crowds at Sydney Olympic Park for the Sydney 2000 10th Anniversary.
“I’m encouraging them to come out next Wednesday and be a part of the celebrations to hopefully inspire them as athletes and see what the Sydney Olympics were about,” Gainsford-Taylor said.
“It is an experience hopefully some of them will have one day themselves.”
Having already competed in 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta, Gainsford-Taylor returned to the track for a remarkable final Olympic campaign in Sydney – her home town.
“It was a really big deal to even be competing,” she said.
“Twelve months out of it they didn’t think I could run because of a bad knee injury. I’ll never forget lining up for the first time. When they called out ‘Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, lane 5’, the roar of the crowd was deafening and inspiring - it was wonderful.”
Gainsford-Taylor finished sixth in the 200m final and fifth with her teammates in the 4x400m relay – both wonderful achievements at the Games.
“The Olympics inspire people in so many ways,” she said. “It is so unbelievably special making any team. It was always my dream as a child.
“I was so excited to finally be back in the sport I loved, back being part of an Olympics. I loved every moment. I feel so blessed that I got the opportunity to do it in my home country.”
Since Sydney 2000, Gainsford-Taylor has had two kids, now aged seven and five. They too are looking forward to September 15.
“It will be great for my own kids to get a feeling of what it was like and what life was like for their mother before!”
The anniversary celebrations will begin with a London 2012 Team Appeal Breakfast which Gainsford-Taylor will be attending. There will be activity at Sydney Olympic Park from 10am including a schools sports celebration, a volunteers’ reunion and a free public concert featuring Marcia Hines, Nikki Webster and the re-lighting of the Olympic Cauldron. For more information visit click here>>>
Taya Conomos
AOC
