Gosnells local Caitlin Parker has become the first female boxer in Australian history to take home a medal from the Olympic Games.
Her 4-1 victory in the women’s middleweight division over Morocco’s Khadija Mardi last Sunday night in the quarter-final at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, has secured her a medal, whether it be bronze, silver, or gold.
The remarkable achievement adds to Caitlin’s growing list of accolades after winning a silver medal in the middleweight event at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, a bronze medal at the 2022 Birmingham Games, a silver at the World Championships and a gold at the Pacific Games.
The former Wirrabirra Primary School and Thornlie Senior High School student will fight against China’s Li Qian on Friday morning for a place in Sunday morning’s Olympic final.
Reflecting on Caitlin’s outstanding achievements so far, her younger brother Billy Parker has expressed the family’s collective pride.
“All the whanau (extended family) are so proud of her, she’s worked so hard for this, and no one deserves it more than her,” Mr Parker said.
The now two-time Olympian has faced challenges getting to where she is now, but Mr Parker believes she was always destined for something special.
“She’s sacrificed major family and friend events like weddings and all that. Anything social like events or concerts, she’s had to sell tickets to pursue training camps. Even though she’d love to do all that, she’s very dedicated to what she loves, to achieve her dream,” he said.
“I knew when she first took up boxing, she’d go far with it; she just had that drive to be the best. She’s very competitive and hates anyone getting the better of her.”
Yusuf Chothia, from Canning Vale and a former student of Canning Vale College, also proudly represented the Gosnells area in the Men’s Flyweight division at this year’s Olympics, where he was narrowly defeated 1-4 in the first round in a strong fight against Spaniard Rafael Lozano Serrano.
With former Thornlie local and former St Norbert College student Peter Bol also participating in this year’s games for the second time after narrowly missing out on a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, our local schools might soon be welcoming back some Olympian visitors.
“She is going to Perth to visit all her friends. I know she has done a few school talks at her old high school (Thornlie), and she still gets a lot of support from the teachers,” Mr Parker said.
You can catch Caitlin in action during the semi-final on Friday, August 9, at 4:02 AM AWST
