Australian netballing legend Sharon Finnan OAM and members from her ‘Dunnrite Lightning’ team received a colourful Cairns welcome yesterday, as the first of 2000 competitors to register in advance of today's start to the inaugural Great Barrier Reef  Masters Games.

The Great Barrier Reef Masters Games check-in centre and hub will operate from Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal overlooking the city’s vibrant harbor of Trinity Inlet. Welcoming Sharon and her team mates at check-in this afternoon was Great Barrier Reef Masters Games Project Manager Richard Mills and General Manager of Cairns Regional Council’s Community Sport and Cultural Services, Ian Lowth.

The Dunnrite Lightning will play its first match on Friday 8 August and Sharon believes the event will be the perfect lead up to the finals in their regular netball season. “This is the first time I’ve competed in a Masters Games and the first time our team has too,” Sharon said. “I think it will be good for us in terms of match practice and testing combinations leading up to the finals and hopefully there aren’t any injuries and we can pull up okay for our semi-final the following week.”

Sharon represented Australia 20 times during her career and said she hasn’t lost her competitive edge that took her to the top of the 1990 Commonwealth Games podium. “Since I’ve retired I’ve kept my fitness going and I haven’t lost that competitive streak,” Sharon said. “If the body stays fit I want to play as long as I can.”

General Manager of Cairns Regional Council’s Community Sport and Cultural Services Ian Lowth, who will be competing in touch, said the event would bring social and economic benefits to the Cairns region. “I’m looking forward to meeting some of the teams coming in from out of town and it’ll also be great to catch up with some of my  friends who have also signed up to play,” Ian said.

“The event ticks a lot of boxes socially and economically with lots of people staying in town which is great for the city, hotels and accommodation providers...It’s also good for community and social engagement.”