‘Long Socks’ clinks medals on journey home

Strathalbyn netballer Carol Richardson walked, ran, shot her ‘long bombs’ and fashioned her iconic long socks on the Gold Coast last month, bringing home bronze and silver from the Pan Pacific Masters Games.

For the first time in Australia, walking netball formed part of the 10-day multi-sport masters, and proved popular, with many teams in allotted age groups.

Richardson – a Masters Games veteran – played an incredible 18 games in six days after joining another netball team last-minute.

“Two weeks before the masters, I looked on the internet and found a team who wanted a shooter, and it was another Queensland team, so I asked them if they wanted me to do it,” she said.

“So, I got to play regular running netball in my own age group – which I won’t tell you what that is – and played walking netball with my regular team Gold Coast Cosmics.

“It was the first time ever I have been able to play against people my own age, as I’m used to being the old codger on the team.

“It was a lot of fun, but pretty exhausting playing that many games, but I have two medals to show for it, winning bronze in the walking netball and silver in running netball.

“It’s a tradition with masters that if you win a medal and you catch a plane, you have to wear it on the plane, so you can imagine both of mine clinking together.”

In 2011, Richardson went out of her comfort zone by jumping online and asking to join a walking netball team.

She has played in the masters ever since and says netball is her “outlet”.

“Netball takes me everywhere,” Richardson claimed.

“It has taken me overseas and I have played at World Masters twice now.

“In the most recent games, the competition was very competitive for walking netball and I played against 9 other teams.

“Some players did not know all the rules, but by the end of the week we all got better and didn't give away many frees.

“All competitors had lots of fun.”

On Tuesday nights at Strathalbyn netball courts, Richardson trained for Masters while enjoying camaraderie that comes with walking netball.

She encouraged others to come down at 6pm and join in on the fun.

“It’s great for socialising and great for exercise, even if you have injuries,” she said.

“It’s great for your mental health because it gets you out of the house.

“Just get out there and do it, it doesn’t matter how old you are!”