Australian Gliders Jessica Cronje and Maryanne Latu have together hit a 50-game milestone in the green and gold at the Osaka Cup in Japan last weekend.
A Tokyo Paralympian, Cronje was surprised to hear of how fast her milestone had approached.
“It’s gone really quick, I hadn’t really kept track of the number of games, so when it was mentioned, it came as a complete shock. My mindset has always been to just always remain focused and look ahead.
“Representing Australia means everything. I’ve always wanted to play for my country, and I’ve competed in four sports, but now that I’ve made it to 50 games wearing the green and gold in my one chosen sport, it means so much because it’s been a really long road to get here.”
Both hailing from New South Wales, Cronje and Latu have progressed through the pathways together, serving as teammates on both the junior State team and in the Women’s league.
“Maryanne and I started at similar times, so it sort of feels like we’ve gone on this journey together. I love being her teammate and she supports me both on and off the court and I think we complement each other well.”
“My goal was always to make an Australian team and having teammates that I’ve played with for many years of my life inspires me to keep striving especially when I come to training every day and see players like Jess push their limits and give it their all, it really helps me to be on the same level as her,” Latu added.
Reaching 50 games as a Glider holds deep significance for Latu, a milestone she says is only made possible by the support from her family.
"The first time I played wheelchair basketball, I absolutely loved it, but I wouldn’t have made it this far without all the encouragement of all my family, friends, and staff members pushing me to achieve my goals.”
