HOME GROWN: Ken Hosking puts the first message in the Commonwealth Bank diary for Louth Park triathlete Brendan Sexton, as branch manager Greg Walton looks on. Picture by STUART SCOTT 010812SS048
Maitland could not be more proud of its home-grown Olympic athlete, the lad from Louth Park, Brendan Sexton.
To show how much support is coming from his home town, the Commonwealth Bank Maitland branch opened a supporters message diary, which will be shared with Sexton when he returns from the Games.
The first customer to record a message of good luck in the diary was Ken Hosking of Maitland.
Mr Hosking said he was happy to show his support for the young Olympian who had thrown so much into his chosen sport and making Olympic selection.
Sexton will make his Olympic debut in one of the Games newest sports. It is only the fourth time the triathlon has made the Olympic Games program.
He will represent Australia in London as part of the men’s triathlon on the Hyde Park course on August 7 – the day after his 27th birthday.
The 2007 Maitland Sportsperson of the Year will be up against 54 of the world’s best triathletes in pursuit of Olympic gold.
He will tackle a 1500m swim, 43km bike ride and a 10km run.
Sexton took up the sport when he was 15 after years of swimming at Maitland public pool.
The former Maitland Grossmann High School student first made the national team in 2002 and he won silver at the under-23 world championships in Hamburg in 2007.
Sexton became the first hometown winner of the 2009 Maitland Triathlon held annually at Morpeth.
The Commonwealth Bank message diary will be available for all Olympic supporters to sign this month.
