Boat Harbour archer Matthew Gray was under strict instructions from his four-year-old daughter Sarah when he departed for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"Daddy, you have to bring home a medal this time," Sarah said.
Delhi was Gray's fourth overseas competition in the past year. Although he had recorded encouraging results at World Cup events in Croatia, Turkey and China he had nothing to show for it.
When he returns on Saturday, he will be armed with a gold medal.
The 37-year-old Port Stephens water policeman led Australia to a surprise victory in the men's recurve teams event on Friday night.
Although delighted with the teams victory, a part of Gray was left to rue what could have been two gold medals.
He lost the semi-final of the individual last night to Indian and No.1 seed Rahul Banerjee in a tiebreak.
Left to battle for bronze, Gray lost another thriller, going down to Indian Jayanta Talukdar 6-4.
In the teams Australia were considered only an outside chance of a medal.
But after upsetting India in the semi-final, the trio of Gray Mathew Masonwells and Taylor Worth defeated Malaysia 219 points to 212 in the final.
An emotional Gray rang his wife Kathy immediately after the final and his two daughters, Sarah and 20-month-old Olivia, were "over the moon" with the news.
"We both shed a tear and the girls were very excited," said Kathy, who is yet to see a replay of the final.
Kathy was pregnant with Olivia when Gray competed at the Beijing 2004 Olympics, where he was knocked out in the first round in the teams and individual.
A triple Olympian, he considered retiring after Beijing but the inclusion of archery at the Commonwealth Games forced a rethink.
"I've been doing it for 30 years and to get something like this now, it certainly pays off, all that hard work and training, late nights, fiddling with equipment, sacrificing with family," Gray said.
"It's the best feeling ever, it's really topped it off."
Gray said while he would like to go for gold at the 2012 London Olympics a family meeting was in order first to discuss the issue.
"I've got to try and get a leave pass off my wife," he joked. "She used to be a sportsperson as well so she appreciates the time and commitment that is required but . . . we've had a very intense year through selection and World Cups."
Kathy is expecting their third child in January and conceded they might have to come to some arrangement.
"It's in his blood - I don't think he will ever give it up," she said.
"I told him he is not allowed to shoot for the first few months.
"I thought this might be the end but it might spur him on a bit now."
