Lee Pepper fractured a collarbone playing soccer, but it put him on a different path to represent Australia in a different version of it.
Dr Pepper will wear green and gold as a Foreveroo, Australia’s team in the FIWFA World Nations Cup for walking football in Spain in October.
With the Cup only having started in 2023, Dr Pepper is excited that there’s a platform for the sport to be played seriously.
Walking Football Federation Australia
“If you want to play at a higher level, there’s a pathway for you to do so,” he said.
The Foreveroos comprise players aged 40 to 74, spread across six age and gender-divided squads, with competitors coming from countries including England, Japan, France, Brazil, Hong Kong and Nigeria.
No products found.
Players were selected through trials across Australia, and while they’re dispersed nationally, they are doing what they can to train and meet in person.
Dr Pepper, 63, of Sydney, helped start the Walking Football Federation Australia, a founding member of the Federation of International Walking Football Association (FIWFA).
He said in walking football, players needed to have ball control and know how to move on a field, plus there was no tackling or touching the ball from behind a player.
“It’s not about smashing the ball… it’s about passing,” he said.
Dr Pepper is excited about being able to play in Spain and is humble about his ability.
“I’m not the greatest player in the world… had I not been selected, I would have gone over as a coach,” he said….
CONTINUE READING at source: https://www.thesenior.com.au/story/9038143/australia-represented-in-world-nations-cup-for-walking-football/
#walkingfootball #walkingsoccer #walkingsports #walkingsport
GET MORE WALKING SOCCER NEWS HERE: https://www.walkingsports.com/category/walking-football-news
