New Zealand Olympic goalie hails from Illinois

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Steve Korte | Belleville News-Democrat

Her personal credo of seizing the opportunities that life hands you has taken Jenny Bindon from Belleville to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Bindon is the goalkeeper for the New Zealand women's soccer team -- the Football Ferns as they are called -- that will be playing in the same pool with Japan, Norway and the United States.

"Our goal is to win a least one game, but we are confident that we might be the darlings of the games," Bindon said in an interview conducted via e-mail from her team's hotel in Quinghuangdao, China.

"My personal goal is to do my very best, and to be able to look myself in the mirror and know that I have done everything possible to achieve my best. I feel life is full of opportunities, you just have to be brave enough to go for it when you get the chance."

Bindon, a 1991 graduate of Belleville West High School, will be remembered by her maiden name of Bourn by local sports fans.

Read the complete story at bnd.com

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