Sport
13 June, 2022
Rising star kicks high
Up and coming star athlete, Quaide Gostelow, as been picked in no less that five peninsula teams and one national team for a range of different sports just this year alone and he's only 11.
The minimum age required to be picked for Peninsula development teams is 10 years old, and Quaide managed to be selected for the 10- 11 years rugby league and the 10-12 years touch teams when he was this age.
Now barely a year later, Quaide has stepped it up a notch and been picked in the swimming, 10- 12 years touch, 11 years rugby league, 12 years rugby league and 12 years rugby union peninsula teams as well as the national NQ Cyclones Touch Team.
Mum Amanda couldn’t be more proud, saying Quaide had always been a sporty kid and been surrounded by football since he was born, picking up a ball at age two and first watching football a year earlier.
“He has always been a sporting kid but he really loves his football – lives and breathes it,” she said.
“If he isn’t playing it, he is kicking a ball in the backyard or he is watching it, he studies it.
“We watch football but he has just done this on his own really.”
Amanda said it had been a difficult learning curve learning all about Peninsula sports within the span of the few months and adapting to the travel involved, taking Quaide to his training sessions in Atherton, Cairns and sometimes Townsville.
During the trip to his first touch football game, the Peninsula trial last year, Quaide was googling the rules of touch in preparation for his trial, but even with his limited knowledge of the game, he was still picked for the side.
Playing with his teammates and a competitive spirit is what keeps Quaide in the game and has helped drive his passion for football and other sports.
“I love the competitive side of it and playing with my mates,” he said.
“At clubs like the Mareeba Gladiators, we did not do competitive matches, but then when we went down for state championships, it was competitive and that is what I really like.
“When we play with better players and harder teams, you play better – I look forward to playing against stronger teams.”
Quaide and his supportive family will be travelling down to Brisbane in the coming weeks for 10-12 touch, the first of many trips out of Mareeba to compete in his selected representative sides.
