Winmalee wrestler Naomi de Bruine made it to the quarter finals at the Commonwealth Games on April 12.
The 22-year-old was competing in the 76kg women’s freestyle section, and was knocked out of the competition by England’s Georgina Nelthorpe, 8 points to 4.
de Bruine only took up the sport a year ago, following a solid foundation in judo, which she’d been honing since age six.
Moving from the Netherlands to Australia 10 years ago, de Bruine has competed in multiple national and Oceania championships in judo, including the 2014 Youth Olympics. Her family moved to Winmalee in 2016.
“Wrestling is purely about wanting to beat the other person,” de Bruine told the Gazette before the Games began.
“You want to take them down with your bare hands with nothing to grab but skin. It’s like fresh air, it’s really exciting.”
