There are no limits to stopping some people from doing what they love, and for Jessica Clark, these words could not be any truer. Jessica Clark, who is 17 years old, became visually impaired as a result of chemotherapy to treat eye cancer at the age of 10 months, but she has not let that stop her from dominating the courts in goalball. Goalball is a sport designed specifically for visually impaired athletes, and consists of a team of three who score goals using a ball with bells embedded on the inside. Jessica's natural talent for the sport is inherent as she played only approximately five games before being selected for the New South Wales Junior team in the National Championships.
Since then, Jessica has represented Australia in the Youth World Championships in Colorado Springs, and taken part in five national championships, three Australian invitational cups, four New South Wales State Championships, the World Youth Championships and is currently in the squad representing Australia with the ultimate aim of competing once again in the United States of America. And would you believe that she has achieved all of this in just four years? To cap that off, this year, Jessica is one of 59 recipients of the Variety Scholarship Program which provides assistance to talented children who are disadvantaged or living with a disability, to achieve their full potential and to follow their dreams. Jessica's achievements are incredible, and prove to us all that with hard work and determination, the sky is not the limit. I congratulate Jessica on her wonderful achievement, and wish her good luck as she works towards representing Australia once again.
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