When the family of a Commonwealth Games debutant realized they couldn’t make it to Birmingham, they brought Birmingham to them.
Mackay’s Claire Colwill only joined the Hockeyroos this year after years of representing Mackay and Queensland.
Through every major tournament, her 92-year-old granny has been there cheering from the sidelines.
But the long travel and the lingering threat of COVID meant Jill Loughnan stayed home on the Sunshine Coast, where her family has set up their own Games Village to cheer on Australia.
“Through Claire’s hockey career, my mum and I have been able to travel with her as she’s played for Queensland and that’s been a really special time for us,” Colwill’s mother, Sara, said.
“We were lucky to be there to see her debut for Australia in New Zealand.
“One of the things [Granny] has always enjoyed about coming on hockey trips is the company and being part of it.”
Sara said the family had been watching the Games live and the replays from the comfort of her mum’s living room.
“I’m sure there’ll be lots of cups of tea and Devonshire teas and all things British to create the Birmingham theme.”
‘I’ve got two goals in life’
From a young age, Claire knew she wanted to be an Australian hockey player.
“When she was about nine, we were on the grass fields learning to hit and she came up to me and said very clearly, ‘Mum, I’ve two goals in life — I’m going to be a Hockeyroo and I’m going to run against Usain Bolt’,” Sara said.
She said her 20-year-old daughter had always been very focused; the second-year university student is balancing international sport with her studies de ella.
“She’s had to do one of her exams online from the Netherlands while she was away just before the World Cup started.
“She’s just set up a really good timetable and mapped it all out… so she knows exactly what she’s got to do.”
Speaking to the ABC when she was first named in the Hockeyroos squad, Colwill said it was a dream come true.
“It’s something you dream of as a kid, and every training session, it builds towards this moment,” she said.
“Starting back in school hockey in Mackay… it all adds up to where I am today.”
Proud family of supporters
While most of Colwill’s family will be at the proxy Games village on the Sunshine Coast, her older brother, Tim, is in Birmingham cheering from the sidelines.
Sara said her two children were close growing up and continued to have a strong bond.
“They might not say that, but they are,” she laughed.
“He’s actually got a T-shirt made up with a photo of Claire in her hockey uniform on the front, and on the back it’s got ‘Colwill #1 supporter’.
“Number one is also actually Claire’s playing number.”
While Birmingham was the first major tournament Sara and her mum would not be watching Claire from the sidelines for, she said she doubted that it would make her daughter nervous.
“She’s always been really independent and the group is so supportive. It’s just one big family.
“I think she’s just loving every minute of it and just wouldn’t want to be anywhere else… she just seems to be thriving.”
Colwill and the Hockeyroos will play for gold tonight after defeating India in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals.
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