Morbidly obese, 14, and a new golden girl
IN a sport dominated by the biggest men in Japan, an Australian girl has become one of the biggest names in sumo wrestling.
Samantha-Jane Stacey, 14, has claimed a world championship silver medal - the first Australian to do so in almost three decades.
She battled through five bouts with a sprained ankle at the weekend's championships in Estonia to win silver in the junior women's division.
Australian Sumo Federation president Katrina Watt described the result as fantastic.
"We are so impressed with the result and she's only 14 so she has four more years in the junior division. Maybe next time we'll hear Advance Australia Fair," she said.
Samantha-Jane, who weighs in at 130kg, sprained her ankle so badly in the first match it took an entire roll of tape to bandage it before the remaining rounds.
"She did really well."
Samantha-Jane has been sumo-wrestling for two years and before that was trained in wrestling.
Her mother Sue hit back at critics of her daughter's weight saying she led an active life, playing netball as well as competitive sumo wrestling.
Ms Stacey said her daughter's weight was due to a medical condition rather than a junk food diet.
"The only takeaway food she eats is sushi - we're not takeaway people," Ms Stacey said.
"She probably eats less than my eldest daughter, who's a size 8.
"The things people say don't worry Sam because she's happy in her own skin. To me, she's beautiful inside and out and I'm so proud of her. She's a gift from God and I love her so much."
IN a sport dominated by the biggest men in Japan, an Australian girl has become one of the biggest names in sumo wrestling.
Samantha-Jane Stacey, 14, has claimed a world championship silver medal - the first Australian to do so in almost three decades.
She battled through five bouts with a sprained ankle at the weekend's championships in Estonia to win silver in the junior women's division.
Australian Sumo Federation president Katrina Watt described the result as fantastic.
"We are so impressed with the result and she's only 14 so she has four more years in the junior division. Maybe next time we'll hear Advance Australia Fair," she said.
Samantha-Jane, who weighs in at 130kg, sprained her ankle so badly in the first match it took an entire roll of tape to bandage it before the remaining rounds.
"She did really well."
Samantha-Jane has been sumo-wrestling for two years and before that was trained in wrestling.
Her mother Sue hit back at critics of her daughter's weight saying she led an active life, playing netball as well as competitive sumo wrestling.
Ms Stacey said her daughter's weight was due to a medical condition rather than a junk food diet.
"The only takeaway food she eats is sushi - we're not takeaway people," Ms Stacey said.
"She probably eats less than my eldest daughter, who's a size 8.
"The things people say don't worry Sam because she's happy in her own skin. To me, she's beautiful inside and out and I'm so proud of her. She's a gift from God and I love her so much."
