MastaMak

Whilst not familiar with sight impaired swimming i knew nothing about the practicebof "tapping" so i did the Google thing and got the following which readers might find useful. Yes, it is very common and standard practice for visually impaired swimmers to use a tapper at Paralympic Games (the elite international event for athletes with disabilities, which is often confused with the Olympics). Here are the key details regarding the use of tappers: Who uses them: Swimmers in the S11 classification (completely blind or with very low visual acuity) are required to use a tapper for safety, while S12 and S13 classifications (less severe vision impairment) may choose to use one. What is a tapper: A tapper is an assistant who stands at each end of the pool and uses a long pole with a soft, padded tip to tap the swimmer on the head or body. Purpose: The tap signals the exact moment the swimmer needs to turn or finish the race, allowing them to swim at full speed without fear of colliding with the wall. Safety requirement: For S11 swimmers, this method is necessary because they are required to wear blackened-out goggles to ensure a level playing field. Trust and Training: Tappers are typically coaches or people close to the athlete, and they must be perfectly in sync with the swimmer's rhythm and speed. While sometimes used in training, these tappers are a staple of Paralympic competition, not usually the mainstream Olympic Games. "

What a wonderfully written story. Thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it. Take a bow Parker Owen's. I'll be sure to look at more of your work.

"Git your ass out of here before I call the cops, you stinkin’ trailer trash piece of shit.” Do country people in America treat innocent enquiry with that sort of response? Seems extreme to say the least. Pretty sure you'd not find that response in country Australia where i live.

Pity Eric didnt use one of his hoarded matches to set fire in Rogers ttruck cabin before hightailing it.

Nup. You’ve lost me on this one. No interest is pursuing - at all.

Beautifully structured & written

So well written with empathy & understanding. I have no medical knowledge but the depth of your understanding of these medical practices & understanding is impressive.

Pancakes, maple syrup & bacon for breakfast in a Sydney Cafe? Possible I suppose but very unlikely. And in Oz "take out" isn't a term ever used. We do "take away". But that's nit-picking i know & I don't mean to denigrate the story or the way it's developing & written.

I dont think I can express it any better than Riccardo & Andy have already done. Wonderfuwritten with empathy.

Great introduction to a story which could well develop. I could almost have narrated a lot of it as it mirrors in many aspects my own history (a very long time ago). And as we're about to see tbe start of the Boxing Day Ashes Test tomorrow in Melbourne, very topical. I must also congratulate you in your depiction of things Australian. Your seem to have us pegged pretty well.

Great introduction to a story which could well develop. I could almost have narrated a lot of it as it mirrors in many aspects my own history (a very long time ago). And as we're about to see tbe start of the Boxing Day Ashes Test tomorrow in Melbourne, very topical. I must also congratulate you in your depiction of things Australian. Your seem to have us pegged pretty well.

Difficult to read with the extensive usemof Urdu. If your audience is largely Urdu speaking that's understandable but mixing the Urdu narrative with English translations interrupts the flow of the story - or it does for his English speaker anyway.

Sjo very well written. Im impressed.

Read it again. Dreadfully sad but so well told

Boys will be Boys of course

A sad story we'll told. Keeping the obvious truth of Jamie's demise from him was cruel if well intentioned.

A somewhat different genre to other works of yours but this looks like an interesting story to develop with lotsnof potential.

"The dashboard light flickered across Dean’s knuckles as he shifted gears, his hands rough and steady on the wheel".................... "When they pulled up in front of Kris’s house, Dean shifted into park." Bit of inconsistency? First talking about shifting gears (i.e manual gearbox) then Dean shifted into park (indicating an automatic transmission). Notwithstanding that , a good story.

A wonderful story & so well written. Whilst reading this i got the clear feeling that there were autobiographical threads through parts of it. In some respects it mirrors in parts my own teenage years in the 50's & 60's growing up in the NT, NSW & the ACT when many of these subjects wete taboo & never openly & honestly openly discussed A touching & fitting memorial to Graham P. I feel for your loss. I'm going through your other works whih I find particularly interesting & enjoyable

Great story well told from start to finish. I really enjoy your writing and amg progressing through all of your stories as I find them. I'm not asking for confirmation but I suspect there's an autobiographical element to parts of this. I've had similar impressions from some of your other stories. A Good Place seems to have all the elements necessary for a much longer story line if that were ever in your plans. Well done ,& thank you. I've gained a lot of enjoyment from this story & the Zack - Aaron reconnection was a master-stroke.

Zack is an interesting,, no, intriguing development. A young man self assured well beyond his years.

A particularly well written story & cleverly constructed narrative with wit & empathy. I'll,look with interest for more of your work.

Another well told story. The pressures associated with approaching puberty well understood and described with empathy and in many ways mirror my own experience - minus the baseball of course which isn't prominent in Australia. Pits its abandoned as its announcement thread which could go a long way.

Interesting read & enjoyed it greatly. We'll constructed & written often with appropriate empathy for the characters portrayed.

Well, you got me ! Throughout this whole story - which BTW I find particularly well written & gripping - I have never contemplated the emergence of Trev's mum.🤔