| Long-shot Dani digs deep for her special dad |
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AMANDA LULHAM IN SYDNEY The Sunday Mail August 23rd, 2009 THEY are the rewards every mother wishes for after watching her daughter make countless sacrifices for her sport - a winning smile and a jump for joy. And it was these rewards Tracy Samuels received in the early hours of yesterday, as she and her other children watched Dani win a world crown at the world track and field championships in Berlin. After years of training, personal sacrifices, tears, setbacks and personal heartbreak, Dani Samuels became the youngest world discus champion, on the other side of the world from her family in western Sydney. It was a moment Tracy had hoped for and which she celebrated with her oldest daughter and two youngest in the lounge room of their Merrylands home. "When it happened, we were just jumping up and down. We were all so excited," said Tracy, a basketball teacher at Westfield Sport High. "It was a very proud moment. To see her so happy was great. She normally doesn't show a lot of emotion." Having set the alarm for 4am, Tracy, sisters Jamie and Casey, 15, and brother Matthew, 18, were forced to wait another two hours due to rain delays before 21-year-old Dani strutted her stuff. The family were quietly confident Dani would do well. Text message updates in the lead-up to the event said she was training well and felt good. But it still came as a shock when the 21-year-old produced a personal best to clinch the world crown and become the youngest world discus champion. Tracy and sister Jamie, a top basketballer who is two years older than Dani and used to play for the Sydney Flames, said it was a just and fitting reward for years of sacrifice. "As a youngster she used to do weights and she used to cry but she kept doing them until she was finished. She would never give up," Tracy said. Jamie added: "She made a lot of sacrifices and sometimes people didn't understand. She used to cop a lot of flak sometimes for not drinking or coming home early because she had to train the next day. "In terms of treats and stuff, the only thing she allows herself is a Mentos (sweet)." Missing from yesterday's day of joy was father Mark Samuels, killed when hit by a truck on the M5 while training for the Australian Ironman triathlon in 2004. Jamie said Dani has the words "He lives in me" tattooed on her stomach. "Mum and I kept talking about it this morning. How happy he would be. How he would fly us all over there that second," Jamie said. "He would be so happy for her. So proud." Tracy said the family must now wait until September to celebrate the win with Dani. "I can't afford to take the whole family over there," she said. "She won't be home until September and I know she will be back because she has tickets for a Beyonce concert. "But I'm sure she'll celebrate there tonight and so will we here." Also missing watching Dani win the world title was boyfriend Joe Stevens, a shot putter. He was watching it on the internet in Abu Dhabi, Tracy said. Jamie believes the world has yet to see the best of her little sister, who had to make a choice between basketball or discus. "This will just inspire her even more," Jamie said. "I'm just so happy for her. She deserves it." |