This one's for dad

By Andrew Stackpool

CORPORAL Tracey Mosley did not just shed tears of joy when she collected an Olympic silver medal – there were tears of sorrow, too, because her greatest supporter was not there to savour the moment.

CPL Mosley, of the Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Unit at RAAF Base Edinburgh, was a member of Australia’s silver medal-winning Aussie Spirit softball team that lost 5-1 to the mighty US team in the Olympic final.

It was her first Olympics and her emotion was clearly visible as she bent to receive the laurel wreath and silver medal. Her emotion was understandable: the team had achieved much but there was a prominent gap in the supporters’ ranks because of the death of her dad, Keith Mosley, a year ago.

“He was a cricketer, but always loved to watch me play. He always came along and was a great supporter. When I made the team he had planned to come, too, and was really looking forward to it,” she said.

“There were a couple of moments during the games when I had a quick look at the sky and said, ‘That is for you, Dad.’ It was the same for the presentation. The medal was for him.”

CPL Mosley played a significant role in Australia’s final success. Although suffering a 10-0 drubbing at the hands of the US in the qualifying rounds, the team was in a strong position for a medal having defeated all other comers until the game against Greece. Australia was two points behind until the third innings.

The score was even in the fourth and then CPL Mosley slammed a home run over the fence to secure the lead, the victory against Greece and, ultimately, clear a path for the final showdown against the US.

CPL Mosley said she was very proud of her teammates. “I’ve never been with such a great group. We all got along so well and the fight the team showed was fantastic.

Even with their backs to the wall they never gave up,” she said. “When we went into the final we felt we had a chance and we were fired up. We never thought we were out of contention; we never gave up or rolled over. We just said, ‘Let’s go for it’ and we did.

“They weren’t going to freak us and even when we saw we were losing we weren’t going to stop having fun. We were a bit disappointed we didn’t get the gold but it definitely wasn’t a loss getting the silver.”

Olympics have a silver lining

CPL Mosley said her personal highpoints were her home run against Greece, ascending the podium (“it was pretty emotional, everyone was stoked”), beating the Japanese to progress to the final and Aussie Spirit’s fighting spirit.

“I think the hardest game was when we came back after the loss to the US in the bronze game against the Japanese, who took the silver in the Sydney Olympics,” she said.

She was one of three players who pulled off a brilliant series of runs from loaded bases in the game against Japan to qualify for the final. As one Australian Softball Federation commentator said, “Mosley, I didn’t know you were that quick.”

“The games were fantastic,” she said. “It was different from anything else I’ve experienced. The field was beautiful, the accommodation pretty good and it was great meeting and mingling with the other athletes.

It was also great experiencing all the different cultures without anyone actually fighting.” CPL Mosley said the team was treated like celebrities after the silver medal-winning effort.

“We went to watch the boys’ baseball and wore our medals. Everyone wanted to have their photos taken with us,” she said. “Then when we entered the arena for the Closing Ceremony the crowd just erupted. We all got goosebumps at the experience.”

Aussie Spirit returned to Australia on September 1 and CPL Mosley returned to work the following week. She was delighted at the support she received from Australia, particularly her workmates. “I logged on to Telstra’s ‘Heroes’ site and the amount of messages I received was fantastic.”

OC JEWOSU Wing Commander John Teager said the unit was thrilled. “She is an impressive lady and we’re very proud of her,” he said. CPL Mosley will have a break from softball before resuming with a competition in Perth in October.

She intends remaining amateur, as she would have to relocate overseas if she turned professional. However, she is keen to see softball become another recognised ADF sport.

“It is a sport that all men and women can play and it is a great sport to bring out the qualities the ADF looks for in its people,” she said. As for her career, she has no illusions.

“I intend to go as far as I can in the Air Force,” she said. She also has sound advice for young people starting out in their future sporting careers. “Enjoy playing the game.”

How the team fared
Aus 4 def Jap 1	Australia’s second defeat by the US meant the team had to play the bronze medal game against Japan (who had beaten China for the spot). Their defeat of Japan took them through to the final.
US 10 def Aus 0
Aus 1 def Taiwan 0
Aus 8 def Italy 0
Aus 5 def China 0
Aus 1 def Can 0
Aus 3 def Greece 2
US 5 def Aus 0
Aus 3 def Japan 0
US 5 def Aus 1

 

Tracey's Softball Career

CPL Mosley, nicknamed “Moses” by other players, became interested in softball in 1983 when she was 10 years old.

“My school was looking for players,” she said. She plays catcher and third base. She quickly moved through the domestic and international ranks until she joined the Air Force in 1996.

Tracey played for West Torrens but her career move cost her place on the international circuit – and selection for the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics squads.

A seven-year comeback followed, leading to Athens, which she described as “my greatest sporting goal”.

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