PROMISING netballer Jacinta Cooper has Adelaide in her sights after she was named in the State Under 12 Schoolgirls’ team.
The Byford resident will represent the state at the Pacific School Games, which involves states and territories from around Australia and teams from 14 other countries.
The defender plays for the Bletchley Park Netball Club and South East Demons in addition to her state team duties, which means she has a rigorous training schedule.
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READ NOWThe job of driving her to training falls to her mother Renee, who also looks after Jacinta’s 15 year-old brother Jake, who has leukaemia.
Renee said she splits her time between helping both her children and they were already fundraising to help Jacinta get to Adelaide.
“We’re nearly five years in and it’s chronic, so he needs a bone marrow transplant and he doesn’t have a match, so we do a lot of that sort of stuff as well,” she said.
“There’s only just three of us, so managing that as well is tough. All the support we can get to get her there is appreciated.
Jacinta, who dreams of representing the Australian Diamonds, said she was looking forward to the tournament despite some initial trepidation.
“I was nervous when I got chosen because I didn’t know if I was good enough for the team, but it’s exciting as well,” she said.
To donate to Jacinta’s fundraising campaign, visit https://www.gofundme.com/jacinta-cooper-state-netball-team.
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