Table tennis is something the Beaumonts have lived and breathed for three generations, and on July 17, they were overcome with pride as one of their own boarded a plane destined for Tokyo.

Gulgong's Michelle Bromley arrived in Olympic Village over the weekend and is training ahead of her first round of table tennis in the 2020 Olympic Games Tokyo.

The sport has been the instigator of many moments for the Beaumont clan with Michelle's parents, Glenys and David (late), falling in love at a Sydney table tennis club.

"It was a Summer Hill table tennis club," Mrs Beaumont said.

"I came to Sydney from New Zealand, and because I played over there, I thought I would join one in Sydney. Well, the only one that I got put onto was Summer Hill.

"It was my first night there. I went to get the bus and ferry home because I was living in Mosman and it was too late, so David said he would take me home.

"It wasn't just him, there were a couple of his mates in another car who were following us. David stopped to pick up a hitchhiker, and then on the way back, they all said we'll get pancakes on the rocks.

"The night ended at one o'clock in the morning with a couple of his mates escorting me home."

The love of the sport was passed down to Michelle and her brothers, John and Rob, who would many a night be found out in the shed competing for hours.

"When we moved to Gulgong from Sydney, the first thing that went in our little old tin shed on the farm was a table tennis table," Mrs Beaumont said.

"The kids, as they got older, played nightly games. You would hear the yelling and the screaming, it was the best of three that would stretch to best of five and best of seven.

"Michelle is the youngest of the three so she just tagged along when they were playing and soon found that she enjoyed it."

Michelle has always had a drive to get to the Olympics, said Mrs Beaumont who mentioned that something Michelle's father, who was her coach for many years, said has stayed with until this day.

"She often says that her father said to her when she was between 10 and 12 'if you really set your mind to it, you could play for the Olympics or Commonwealth Games'. Ever since then, it has stuck with her," Mrs Beaumont said.

"He would be jumping over the moon right now, I can assure you.

"It is such a pity that he's not here to enjoy watching Michelle at the Olympics but he will definitely be on her mind."

Although a single doubt never entered her mind that Michelle would reach her Olympic dream, Mrs Beaumont is dumbfounded that her daughter is days away from round one at the Olympics.

"I still can't believe it, it's just magical," Mrs Beaumont said.

"I still watch the video of the day that she qualified for the number one spot on the team, it was just magic.

"I'll be watching her on the tele wearing one of the supporter shirts we made that say 'Shelly's support crew', we've all got one."

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