Wales Table Tennis star Charlotte Carey has expressed her immense pride at the prospect of representing Team Wales at her fourth consecutive Commonwealth Games.
Carey said: “I’m really patriotic and after living away for so many years and not getting to wear the Welsh kit so often it’s great to put it on and be proud of it.
“Competing for team wales at the commonwealths feels amazing, it’s not often you get to be surrounded by the other best athletes of the country and really feel like a community.
“I’m hoping with my experience I can lead the team well if we get there. The qualification is a bit more difficult now as they’ve reduced the numbers so hopefully our team will qualify as well as myself in the singles.”
At every Games so far Carey has exceeded expectations, finishing in the top 10 at all three Games and registering a best finish in fifth place. There is one match that will live long in her memory facing New Zealand in Glasgow 2014.
“Chloe and I won doubles against New Zealand. I still get goosebumps watching that match and hearing the people cheering and clapping for us. It felt like a home games because we had so many people supporting us.”
Despite having three Commonwealth Games appearances under her belt, Carey has yet to qualify for an Olympic Games, narrowly missing out on qualification for the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year.
“It would’ve been great to qualify and even the next match would’ve been difficult but I would’ve loved that chance. Playing at the Commonwealth Games next year and losing out so close to qualify for Tokyo has only made me more motivated to qualify for Paris.”