The 25 year old was born with Down Syndrome, and has been playing basketball since 2011. 

Last week, he joined his NSW teammates in Adelaide to compete in the Special Olympics, and although they were not hugely successful, winning was not the point of Harrowell’s trip. 

“Yes, I do have fun at basketball playing,” Harrowell said. 

“[I like] learning new skills and meeting new people. 

“My favourite moment of the trip, I’ve never been to Adelaide before. My favourite [was playing] basketball.” 

Danny’s father, Phil, accompanied him to Adelaide, and said that it was great to see the officials run the competition with an emphasis on good sportsmanship. 

“I had never seen a bad display of temper against another athlete” he said. 

“Generally they may show some frustration with themselves or sometimes with a call by the ref … but the spirit is just generally so good. It’s wonderful to see.” 

Although Danny’s team lost the majority of their matches, Phil said that “he’s had a great time.

“I think he was more disappointed for us [as spectators and fans] than himself. 

“Because from his perspective, competing is what it’s all about.” 

Roughly 1,000 athletes took part in the games.