Lorraine Peel breaking records

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The story of how one remarkable lady, playing for her beloved Liverpool Rangers Soccer Club, etched her name into the Guinness World Record books

What does Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Lorraine Peel from the Liverpool Rangers all have in common?

They’re all listed as World Record holders in the Guinness Book of World Records.

At the sprightly age of 65 years and 9 months, Lorraine Peel has officially become the oldest female football player in the world – eclipsing the previous record of 60 years of age.

Registered with the Liverpool Rangers in the AAL Division 3 competition in the Southern Districts Association, Lorraine Peel’s extraordinary footballing story sends a message to all female footballers – that there are no barriers to what you can achieve.

“I didn’t actually start playing football till I was 36!” declares Lorraine.

“My husband and I were watching my son’s football game at our local park. As his game finished, two girls’ teams came out to play. We decided to watch a little bit. I turned to my husband after 10 minutes and said, ‘I could do this’”.

The very next season Lorraine laced up her first pair of football boots and went down to the trials.

“I must have done ok because I made the team ahead of a few other girls there,” exclaims Lorraine.

But few could have predicted that that trial was the first day of a stellar 27-year career.

A career littered with Grand Final victories, coaching honours, refereeing duties, committee member governance, and individual accolades – Lorraine has a difficult time in choosing her proudest achievement.

“There are two moments that stand out for me,” Lorraine says proudly.

“The first is the award given to me by Football NSW, for my dedication and commitment to football. But on the field, my proudest moment was when I coached Courtney, my granddaughter, to back-to-back Division 1 Grand Final victories”.

Football has truly become a family affair for Lorraine.

In her 27-year career, she has played in the same team as her daughters and her grandchildren.

“Football has taught me so much; mate-ship, teamwork, how to win and how to lose – I’ve devoted so much time and energy into football because I want my children and grandchildren to experience these things too”.

Driven by her passion for the game and desire to see women’s participation in sport grow, Lorraine continued to play football into her early 60s, before a routine trip to the doctor changed her life forever.

“I hurt my leg at soccer and so I went to see my doctor. He recommended I give the game away for good. But I wasn’t ready to stop”.

“As I was leaving, he jokingly said, ‘Have you checked the Guinness World Records? You have to be the oldest female football player in the world!”

Lorraine initially laughed off the comment, before her daughter encouraged her to check online.

“I couldn’t believe it when I looked,” said Lorraine.

“The record was 60 years. I was 62 at the time!”

After jumping through the many complex hoops of the application process, Lorraine received word from the Guinness World Record Company that her application had been accepted – pending final certification.

The official date the record would be attempted was the 20th August 2017 – in what turned out to be Lorraine’s Grand Final match against Moorebank Sports.

With witnesses in attendance and a capacity crowd eager to enjoy their own slice of a World Record attempt, Lorraine’s Liverpool Rangers claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory in a penalty shootout – with Lorraine converting the decisive penalty.

An appropriate end to a story now honoured among the pages of the greatest records in the sporting world.

“I hope people see my World Record as an example of what you can achieve if you never give up on the dreams you have. I started playing football at 36 and I’m still playing now, almost 66”.

“I want girls to know there are no limits to what you can achieve. Women’s football has grown enormously in the 27 years I’ve been involved. I hope it continues to flourish into the future”.

– By Ryan Latty