Liam McNally
Star Weekly is taking a look back at 2023. Here’s one of our biggest stories from last year.
A Taylors Hill teenager is on his way to Berlin to represent Australia in basketball at the 2023 Special Olympics Summer World Games from June 17 to 25.
Giuliano Maiolo, known by friends and teammates as G, will be the youngest player on his side, but he said that prospect “doesn’t phase me at all”.
“When I first received the selection in the envelope I had a massive grin knowing what was inside. I’m really ecstatic that I got selected … I’m extremely determined,” he said.
When G’s basketball journey began at eight years old with the Caroline Springs Lil Devils the Olympics wasn’t on his mind. His father, Eugenio Maiolo even said he “didn’t want to get on the court”.
Eugenio said it was forming a “very special” connection with Lil Devils co-ordinator Nathan Freeman that got G enjoying the sport, who has still been his primary coach leading up to the Special Olympics.
Nathan said he was only 19 when G joined up, and hadn’t taught anyone on the autism spectrum before, but in small steps they built skills and trust, learning how to communicate and what works best for G, until he was ready to hit the court.
“Seeing him go from someone who wouldn’t want to go on a court at all to the person he is today is amazing. Not just on the court – he’s open and outgoing and doesn’t shy away from being centre attention and makes others in his community feel more special, and welcomed,” he said.
“Now seeing him go play in Berlin … all the hard work, determination that he’s shown, especially in the last eight months of training … He has shown a lot of pride in representing his country and his community.”
G was selected for the Australian team after competing for Victoria in Tasmania last October, which he almost didn’t attend after his mother, Grace, died of cancer just a month before the game.
Eugenio said the family were “in two minds” about whether to travel to Tasmania or not, but G formed a “strong bond” with his teammates during the experience, who all wore black armbands to commemorate the loss.
“The spirit of the games was so phenomenal that it helped us through our tough times, not only the athletes but the families and the families from the other states… Players he was opposing would go hug him before the game,” he said.
Eugenio said G “played out of his skin” at the event scoring 102 points across seven games, the most in the B-grade men’s division, and winning the bronze medal with his team.
“He’s doing this for Mum, that’s his whole purpose … He’s putting it all out there and making her proud,” he said.
G said losing his mum has been “devastating”, but it’s given “new meaning” towards his playing.
“[I want to] win the gold in honour of what mum has done for me in the past 16 years… That is 100 per cent what I’ll try and do in the Olympics and it’s what I’ve been trying to carry throughout my past six months of training with Nathan,” he said.
“I could not be in this position without Nathan’s help and I’d like to thank him for all he has done.”
G said he wants other people with conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder to “drive towards chasing goals”.
“Even if you have some sort of mental disability, try your best in any regard, in any situation whatsoever, you never know what will happen eventually, much like me not knowing I would one day be selected for Berlin,” he said.
