GOLD SEEKERS!

Davison, 40, and Farrell, 21, are in the Great Britain team, which is more than 80 strong, many of them medal contenders.

Jo is from East Preston, competes for Worthing Harriers and is the British deaf hammer and discus champion. The European deaf hammer record had stood since the Rome Deaflympics in 2001. Until, in the space of a fortnight earlier this year she broke it four times.

Lee plays for East Preston Football Club in the Sussex County League first division. he is one of four Sussex footballers in the GB team.

The other three are in the women's squad.

JO DAVISON flew to Australia with a gold medal and a deaf world hammer throwing record the focus of her thinking and her dreaming. She has hoisted her own European record by seven metres to 45.08m and the world record looks to be at her mercy, standing at 45.43m.

She explained: "That's why I'm prepared to put in all the work. It has been worth me giving up my job since the end of March and I am telling you now '” I aim high. I realised from what I was throwing I could break these records."

Davison is the GB team's only field athlete.

She has been a well-known face around local sport since a young age. Hockey for Worthing, then Bognor, and Bognor & Middleton. Football, badminton at Littlehampton BC, rifle shooting with Alpha RC. Latterly stoolball for the invincible Sussex champions, Angmering, and throwing events for Worthing Harriers Athletics Club '” via Goring Road Runners.

"I simply love sport," she confessed, "but I'm not as young as I used to be so I concentrate on these two. If you want to be successful and the best in any sport in your life, it comes down to quality rather than quantity.

"I enjoyed athletics at Angmering School but never really took it up until two years ago. I took up road running just for fun, to keep fit for hockey, but started to enjoy it and to take it more seriously. By then, I moved on to Worthing Harriers with the hope that one day I could do the marathon.

"Unfortunately, I had to give up road running as I had an Achilles problem. I didn't want to do nothing, so I looked around at the athletics club to see what else I could do. Again for fun, waiting for my Achilles to recover, I took up shot, discus, and hammer. I found my love for the hammer in February 2003, and got more and more involved."

The club and Sussex County records soon became hers and she was on her way towards a new destiny we may be about to witness.

The hammer is due tomorrow (Friday), the discus today (Thursday) and Saturday.

EAST PRESTON Football Club striker Lee Farrell made a dream start to the Deaflympics when he netted both goals for Great Britain against Ireland in a 2-0 win yesterday (Wednesday).

Britain now face Australia on Friday and Greece on Sunday in their remaining group games.

Farrell is part of a 20-man GB squad, and was selected following trials in Birmingham and subsequent training camps.

Farrell has been with East Preston for three years since being spotted playing for Sunday League side, The Lamb, by then EP boss Vic Short. Farrell has not looked back, and has been scoring goals left, right, and centre for the Lashmar Road team.

Since making his debut on January 10 2002, Farrell has struck 54 goals for EP. He netted 12 times during the Division 2 promotion season of 2001-02.

Then hit 15 goals in his first season of Division 1 football, 17 goals last campaign as EP finished third and, so far, has 10 goals this season.

Short said: "Lee came in halfway through my first year in charge.

"Since he has got his call-up to the Great Britain squad, I don't think he has had an alcoholic drink. As a trainer, he is one of the fittest lads I have ever seen, and as a lad he is dynamite. He is one of the nicest boys I have had the pleasure of working with.

"As a footballer, he is getting fitter and stronger, and is always such a threat. This season, he has also gained the experience of playing up front on his own. Because of that system he has got used to maybe not touching the ball for five minutes or more.

"In the next four weeks in Australia, he will gain much more experience, and come back an even better player.

"I know Crawley had a look at him a couple of years ago, and he is good enough and strong enough to play there, although it is a big jump.

"He is a goal threat wherever he is, and has pace and strength like Yemi Odubade. I am sure he will have a whale of a time out there."

Odubade, was at Eastbourne Town last season, but is now on a one-year professional contract at League Two side Yeovil Town.

Farrell left for Australia on Boxing Day. His father, Graham, said: "He seems to be enjoying it out there, but didn't want to go at first. He's a very homely lad, but know he is there he will be enjoying himself.

"I'm proud of him, as it is an honour to represent your country.

"I think he will do quite well, but I hope he doesn't have to much pressure put on him, because I think they see him as their main strike threat."

Graham is keeping in contact with Lee through text messages, and via e-mail while he is in Melbourne.