By Tara Murray
Melton’s’ Jaime-Lee Getson has spent a large part of her life in the swimming pool, but spending time on the basketball court is still new.
Getson, who represented Australia at the 2020 Paralympics, showed she was a natural on the court and earned selection as part of the Victorian side for the Ivor Burge Championships.
Victoria claimed gold in both the women’s and men’s competition, which is for athletics with an intellectual impairment.
Getson’s shone and she was named in the Australian Pearls 14-player squad. The Pearls are Australia’s national representative team for female athletes with an intellectual impairment
Getson said it came as a complete shock to have made the Australian squad.
“It’s super exciting,” she said. “It was my first season representing Victoria after four months of training.
“From being an elite swimmer to this, I was shocked.”
Getson said she stepped back from swimming for a number of reasons.
It was through the connection with Victorian Ivor Burge coach Emily Attard that she got into basketball. She said Attard has had a massive impact on her career.
Attard runs a Specialist Hoops program in Melton and Bacchus Marsh.
“Emily suggested that I come down and try it out and the rest of history,” Getson said.
“My mum works with her.”
Getson said basketball was so different from swimming
She said basketball was a team sport where the pressure is spread, while swimming it was all on her.
She said she’d always been athletic which is why she thinks that she was able to pick up the sport so quickly.
Jaime-Lee and her twin brother Patrick headed down to Specialist Hoops. Both were selected for nationals and won gold.
In the grand final, Getson scored 13 points.
“It was unreal,” she said. “I was super surprised with the grand final.
“I was so happy, it was like a dream. I looked at the stats after the game and thought wow, they are pretty decent.”
Selection for the VIRTUS World Championships to be hosted in Astana, Kazakhstan is this week at the AIS.
Before selection, Getson said she had been training really hard and it would be an honour to wear the green and gold.
“It’s something I’m looking forward to,” she said of the game. “I’m taking it one day at a time.
“I’m doing some training in Coburg and Sunbury and I’m playing in a domestic league in Sunbury.”
The Pearls are holding a fundraising campaign to help get them to Kazakhstan.
To donate type Pearls into the at comments at asf.org.au/projects/basketball-australia?modalOpen=true
Tara Murray
