ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Betoota Heights woman Karen O’Donnell is hoping to catch the Rugby 7s tonight after getting up in the middle of this morning to watch the Matildas comfortably beat Zambia.
With the Paris 2024 Olympics in full swing, the youngest record Karen in Queensland’s sleep schedule has been thrown into complete disarray, but her dedication to supporting Australia’s athletes knows no bounds.
At the ungodly hour of 3:00 AM, Karen was wide awake and decked out in green and gold, ready to cheer on the Matildas as they faced off against Zambia in their group stage match. Her dedication didn’t stop there, though.
“It’s just one of those once-in-a-lifetime events,” Karen explained.
“You can’t miss it, even if it means functioning on coffee and adrenaline. Next time around it’ll be good because the timezone is LA. Then after that, it’s Brissie. This will be the last time in a long time I’ll be up late to watch the Tillies at the Olympics.”
After witnessing the Tillies’ thrilling performance, Karen knew she couldn’t rest yet. With the clock ticking and only a few hours of daylight left, she prepared herself for the next bout of patriotic fervor: the women’s rugby sevens. Set to kick off at 1030PM, Karen has carefully scheduled her catnaps to ensure she remains bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the match against South Africa.
But the challenge doesn’t end there. At 1AM, the team takes on Great Britain, meaning Karen’s marathon viewing session will stretch into the early hours of the morning yet again.
“It’s brutal,” she admitted.
“But I love it.”
More to come.
