2017 World Disabled Water Ski Championships

---

Disabled Water Ski Australia (DWSA) hosted the 2017 World Disabled Water Skiing Championships at the Sport and Recreation Centre at Myuna Bay. This successful event commenced Monday 24th April and finished on Monday 1st May. Most teams also took advantage of the training on offer at the championships site from 17th April. There were 44 athletes from 10 counties competing at this World Championships.

During the above period, the 9 visiting countries plus the Australian team that entered to compete in this Championship, trained, familiarised themselves with the ski site and also did some sightseeing in and around Lake Macquarie, Newcastle and Sydney. Friendships were also formed amongst the skiers, support crew, families and officials.

After a hard-fought battle until the end, the Australian Team won the Gold Medal for the first time ever, and in their home country. The USA won the Silver Medal and Italy won Bronze Medal. One of the many highlights was the setting of two new World Records, both in jump. One by an Australian and the other by a Canadian.

The 44 athletes, their support crew, visiting families and officials came from USA, Italy, France, Canada, Sweden, South Korea, Brazil, Norway, Ireland and other states of Australia and were housed at the Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre. There were 111 people housed at the Centre and about 65 people stayed within easy driving range such as Toronto and Wangi Wangi.

People stayed at Myuna Bay, or close by, for at least 5 nights, though most stayed for a period of 14 days with some of them continuing their stay in Australia after the event, to visit tourist destinations and do some sightseeing. This also included the Lake Macquarie area.

The Mayor, Kay Fraser, represented Lake Macquarie Council at our Welcome Night where she spoke and welcomed everyone to this event.

Lake Macquarie Council supplied their tear drop banners and these were displayed at the water ski site viewing area. Lake Macquarie Council was recognised as a major sponsor by the announcer on numerous occasions, during the Championships and they were also acknowledged at the presentation night. The Lake Macquarie Council logo was also displayed on the 2017 World Disabled water skiing championships website, t-shirts and bulletins.

Besides the 44 athletes, their support crew, visiting families and officials that were housed, there was also visitors to this event who were local and interstate. These visitors were of various ages ranging from very young to the elderly and were generally further friends and family of the athletes. During the competition there would have been approximately 200 people at the water ski site each day.

The USD$10,000 naming rights from the Jim Grew/Barbara Bolding Fund and the $10,000 that the Lake Macquarie Council sponsored Disabled Water Ski Australia to hold this event was used for costs associated with running the event such as accommodation and catering for the officials, purchase of fuel for the tow boats, event medals and trophies, competition bibs, various ski equipment and the like. Without this generous sponsorship, plus many others both in funds and in kind, this event would not have been as successful, or may not have been able to be held at all, and we sincerely thank you for your generous support in holding the 2017 World Disabled Water Skiing Championships.