Cloncurry’s list of baton bearers for the Commonwealth Games Queens Baton Relay includes one bubbly 17-year-old with true community spirit.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Darcie-Lee Ashton is an SES volunteer, Army cadet, daughter, grand-daughter, sister, and a Year 11 student at Cloncurry State School.
Ms Ashton said her wonderful grandmother was the one who put her name forward as a baton bearer.
“I honestly didn’t even know she knew how to use a computer. But thanks to a couple of people at the Cloncurry Library, she did it," Ms Ashton said.
“Nan has looked after my brother and I since we were born, in Cloncurry. If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
“My mum lives in the Northern Territory and runs a business there. When I could finally ring my mum and tell her the news, she was over the moon.”
Ms Ashton said she was just as thrilled when she first found out she was nominated.
“I got an email in June saying I had reached the next selection process. And I was thinking, a little country girl from out bush here, having the chance to carry the Queen’s baton? Just being nominated was enough for me,” Ms Ashton said.
“I had to keep it a secret until Wednesday, it was the biggest secret I’ve had to keep! I didn’t really expect it.
“It’s been great. I walked into school today and all the teachers said ‘Congratulations, it’s in the newspaper’.”
Alongside an already full extra-curricular schedule, Ms Ashton is also doing a school based trainee-ship with St Joseph’s Catholic School in Cloncurry.
“It means once I complete my qualification next year in June, I’ll have a Certificate 3 in education support and I’ll be a qualified teacher aide, so I’ve got something ready to do after I finish school,” Ms Ashton said.
She enjoys being involved in the Cloncurry army cadet group, which is connected to the 143ACU cadet program in Mount Isa.
"It would be great if we can get some more cadets here, so the program can continue,” she said.
When she was younger, Darcie- Lee attended St Joseph’s School from Prep to Year 9, when she became school captain.
She has also held positions as Sports Captain, School Leader, and Cloncurry Junior Rodeo Queen in 2010.
“They’re both really great schools with high quality education and I enjoyed both of them. My favourite subject would have to be manual arts; woodworking and stuff like that,” Ms Ashton said.
On her responsibility as baton bearer, Ms Ashton joked about training for the job.
“My brother’s got a hammer, so I might have to start running around with it, trying to prepare for it,” Ms Ashton said.
The Queen’s Baton Relay takes place two days before her brother Deacon’s 16th birthday in March.
This Monday, Darcie-Lee is flying to the Gold Coast and hopes to sneak in photo with the ‘Countdown to Commonwealth Games’ sign at Brisbane Airport.
