Gabrielle Dray has always been known as an all-rounder.
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The Year 6 student at Wallerawang Public School is a natural at rugby league, training with the Wallerawang Warriors, and at soccer. She has represented the western region in the PSSA competition.
She also loves running, finishing first in her age group and seventh overall in the recent Glowworm Tunnel trail 7km running event, held in June. She was accompanied on the run by her little sister, Georgie, 5, and mum Gena.
“Mum, that is such a hard question,” Gabrielle says seriously, when her mum asks her what is her favourite sport.
“She just wants to keep competing and keep doing as much as she can,” Gabrielle’s mum Gena said.
Gabrielle’s usual routine of sports and horse riding has been made more difficult in recent months.
She has been suffering from bone disease in her jaw, which causes intense periods of swelling and pain in her face.
At first thought to be a painful eruption of teeth, it soon became clear there was more going on, with an MRI uncovering irregularities in the bone.
“We were told to be prepared for cancer,” Gena said.
It was not cancer, but instead some kind of bone disease, which is still under investigation at Westmead Hospital. The investigations have been painful, including drilling into the bone to perform a biopsy.
“Out of hospital the next day, all she could talk about was going in the swimming carnival,” Gena said.
Despite the discomfort her condition causes, Gabrielle has continued on with her competitions, taking out first place in her school cross country.
The entire Dray family loves footy, horses and motorbikes.
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Gabrielle joined with her sister Georgie for a skills clinic hosted by women NRL players in Orange during the school holidays.
Unfortunately, much of the rest of the break was taken up with more testing and doctor’s visits.