AUCKLAND, New Zealand, April 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Australian softball legend Jenny Holliday has pitched up to Auckland this week to participate in the World Masters Games 2017 (WMG2017) -- and has taken the chance to check out some of the local sights while she's here.
ATEED / World Masters Games 2017: http://www.prnasia.com/mnr/wmg2017.shtml
As the fastest Olympic women's softball pitcher of all time, an Olympic bronze medallist, and a regular competitor on the masters scene, Jenny is hoping to add an Auckland World Masters Games medal to her list of achievements.
"The competition has been terrific and we've won all of our games so far," she says. "Hopefully we'll be in there with a medal chance but regardless it's been good fun."
Auckland is playing host to 28,000 World Masters Games 2017 participants from around New Zealand and across the globe, including almost 7,000 Australians. The Games is the largest multi-sport event in the world, with almost double the number of athletes than the Olympics.
Along with softball, there is competition in another 27 sports, taking place at 45 venues around Auckland and two in the Waikato.
Jenny and her team made the most of a day off thanks to a bye earlier this week, taking the opportunity to get close to nature on an Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari.
"While we didn't manage to see whales this time we did stumble across a pod of dolphins who put on an amazing show," says Jenny, who is also a World Masters Games 2017 ambassador.
"There's not many places in the world where you can go an hour offshore from a great cosmopolitan city like Auckland and experience nature up close like this."
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), Auckland's economic growth agency, secured the bid to host WMG2017 in partnership with the New Zealand Government, beating out 15 other countries to win the Games.
ATEED Chief Executive Brett O'Riley says the World Masters Games 2017 is helping to put Auckland on the global stage.
"We've had 16,000 international visitors from 100 different countries spending time in Auckland during their competition.
"Auckland has been absolutely buzzing this week, there's been some amazing memories made, new friendships forged, and we're sure that these visitors will be going home and telling their friends that Auckland is a great place to live, work and visit."
For further information please contact
Anika Forsman
Acting Media Manager
P +64-9-365-0523
M +64-220-261130
E anika.forsman@aucklandnz.com
Video - http://static.prnasia.com/pro/media/mnr/video/20170428ateed.mp4
