If smiling was an Olympic sport, 12-year-old Gabby Edwards would be a shoe-in.
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Since learning she was selected to represent NSW at the 2017 Pacific School Games in Adelaide later this year, the smile hasn’t left Gabby’s happy face.
Gabby is one of 10 girls to make the team ahead of 120 other hopefuls following the PSSA Touch Football Championships, Wagga Wagga in early August.
She learned of her selection on the drive home from a rep netball game.
“When mum told me I was very excited and surprised,” Gabby said.
But, her selection should have come as no surprise for the Year 6 schoolgirl.
When mum told me I was very excited and surprised.
- Gabby Edwards
She is one of three talented Edwards siblings – Harrison and Alexandra – who have played State and regional representative soccer, netball, touch football, athletics, swimming and cross country.
Dad, Joel also played representative soccer.
More than 4000 students from 15 countries – including each Australian state and territory – will compete in this year’s games on December 3-9, held every two years.
Gabby is one of two team-members from the Hunter representative side selected to play for NSW.
Eleven-year-old Anna Bay Public School student Ava Forster also was chosen. Both girls were selected based on their performance during the three-day Wagga Wagga tournament.
The girls credited their games selection to training, coaches and Hunter team-mates.
In preparation for the big event, Gabby will step up her training, encouraged by her dad and brother, and she will be require to travel to Sydney.
In the long-term Gabby has her heart set playing league tag with the Forster-Tuncurry Hawks women’s team – but she will have to wait for another three years.