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Sandra Wilcock, is fast making a name for herself in powerchair football after being the only female to play in New Zealand’s most successful Ditch Cup game last month.
The Mahurangi College 18-year-old represented the national side at Brisbane State High School on September 29, where NZ lost 2-0 in their closest game ever with Australia.
Sandra also got the chance to face the world’s best player, Abdullah Karim, including several closely fought tussles against him in which she held her own.
“I’ve never played in a competition with that sort of attention before, so it was both really exciting and nerve wracking at the same time,” Wilcock says.
“I was the only girl playing in either team, but taking on the boys doesn’t faze me at all, and I really enjoyed battling with the very best powerchair footballer.”
Prior to the Ditch Cup, Sandra also played for a New Zealand side, Kiwi Red, in the Australian National Championships. Kiwi Red came third out of seven sides.
The side opened with a 4-0 win over Western Australia in its first game, and Sandra was among the goal scorers.
“The Australian teams are very strong so I think we surprised them this year. I was stoked to score early on in the competition, too.”
Other winning results were 7-1 against the Barbarians, 7-0 against Victoria, 3-0 over Western Australia and 7-0 over Kiwi Green.
“I would like to thank everyone who got in behind my Givealittle page for this trip, raising $5090 to get me over to Australia to compete.”
Wilcock’s next competition will also be in Australia, in January. She will play against Australian teams as a warm up for the Asia Pacific Oceania Cup.
The next Powerchair Football World Cup will be held in Australia in 2021 and next year will be New Zealand’s first ever attempt to qualify for this through the Oceania tournament.
Sandra will also compete in the NZ nationals in April and play across the country to train with her team mates ahead of the qualifiers.
However, she is disappointed powerchair football’s application to be a sport in the 2024 Paralympic Games has been rejected.
Wilcock is also looking for local business sponsorship so she can attend future competitions.
