2023  Boarding Awards

Cathedral’s Grace Abdy (Yr 10) is making a name for herself in a field beyond Cathedral’s gates, enjoying success at Indoor Cricket all the way to the national level.

From these humble beginnings, Grace names the experience she is most grateful for as her first representative state cricket carnival at the age of 11, where she played in the Presidents 11 team with her coach, Mr Conroy. She said she went into the carnival not knowing any rules of the game, yet by the end of the carnival she was able to play a competitive game of cricket. Grace believes her commitment to the sport and her determination shown at training sessions is what sets her apart from the other players. Coming to Townsville and boarding at Cathedral has opened many opportunities for Grace, as before this living in Cloncurry, it was a struggle to receive proper coaching and training.

Grace currently plays for the Under 15 Northern Flames, the Under 17 Wanderers and the C grade teams for the Wanderers Mens’ Cricket Team – a staggering line-up, but one she enjoys. “By playing against boys and occasionally the men, it has made me really competitive and has held my cricket to a standard and has given me competition and helped improve me,” she said.

Grace’s cricketing idols are Michael Hussy and Beth Mooney, and they inspire her daily. She said that the driving force behind cricket was definitely her dad, Allan Abdy, and with his encouragement she has been lucky enough to attend many cricket carnivals in Mackay, Brisbane, Ipswich and right here in Townsville. When asked if she sees cricket as being a part of her future, her response is: “I only wish to play the best version of cricket I possibly can, enjoy the game while I have the chance to, and see where it takes me.”

The aspect Grace enjoys most about playing in a team is her teammates. “You will always have mates to fall back on and that it gives me responsibility, as I have got to perform at my best for the team to do their best,” she said.

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Grace has been playing representative cricket for four years and is currently a member of the Queensland Under 17 Indoor Cricket Team. The Cloncurry boarder got a taste for the sport in backyard cricket sessions at the age of eight playing with her father and her two siblings. “My family really liked cricket, and my Dad really liked it so I got in to it,” she said.

From these humble beginnings, Grace names the experience she is most grateful for as her first representative state cricket carnival at the age of 11, where she played in the Presidents 11 team with her coach, Mr Conroy. She said she went into the carnival not knowing any rules of the game, yet by the end of the carnival she was able to play a competitive game of cricket. Grace believes her commitment to the sport and her determination shown at training sessions is what sets her apart from the other players. Coming to Townsville and boarding at Cathedral has opened many opportunities for Grace, as before this living in Cloncurry, it was a struggle to receive proper coaching and training.

Grace currently plays for the Under 15 Northern Flames, the Under 17 Wanderers and the C grade teams for the Wanderers Mens’ Cricket Team – a staggering line-up, but one she enjoys. “By playing against boys and occasionally the men, it has made me really competitive and has held my cricket to a standard and has given me competition and helped improve me,” she said.

Grace’s cricketing idols are Michael Hussy and Beth Mooney, and they inspire her daily. She said that the driving force behind cricket was definitely her dad, Allan Abdy, and with his encouragement she has been lucky enough to attend many cricket carnivals in Mackay, Brisbane, Ipswich and right here in Townsville. When asked if she sees cricket as being a part of her future, her response is: “I only wish to play the best version of cricket I possibly can, enjoy the game while I have the chance to, and see where it takes me.”

The aspect Grace enjoys most about playing in a team is her teammates. “You will always have mates to fall back on and that it gives me responsibility, as I have got to perform at my best for the team to do their best,” she said.