JUMPING OUT OF HIS SKINNER FOR HOME FINALE
TONIGHT, home town hero, Aussie commonwealth games para power lifter Leigh Skinner, will lift for an international competition one last time.
At 54, the Gold Coast local will compete against athletes decades younger in what Skinner sees as one of the “greatest opportunities” of his life.
On leaving his last ever training session at the athletes’ village on Sunday, Skinner said he felt the full gravity of his journey, from a mature beginner in the sport just 10 years ago, to a Commonwealth Games athlete on home turf.
“I was emotional walking out, thinking this is my last training session for my last Commonwealth Games to compete in front of hundreds of friends and family here at home,” he said.
“The gratitude I have to be here, the way it’s come together, this is one of my greatest opportunities outside of marriage and having children.”
Less than 24 hours out from his final lift, Skinner who has competed at two previous Commonwealth Games, said he felt collected.
“I’m calm and ready,” he said. “I’ve been the one keeping the other athletes calm too.”
However this wasn’t always the case for the heavyweight champion, who admits he was a ball of nerves going into his first Games in Delhi.
Like most athletes who have their fair share of good luck charms and game day rituals, Skinner also puts his temperament down to a pair of lucky jocks.