Andrew
Harrison

Andrew Harrison was 17 when he was first introduced to wheelchair rugby – by none other than three-time Paralympian Bryce Alman. He would go on to win two Paralympic gold medals from three Paralympic Games, and firmly establish himself among the best 2.0 players in the game.

Andrew first represented Australia at the 2007 Chris Handy Cup in Invercargill, New Zealand, but after narrowly missing selection to the 2008 Australian Paralympic Team, it was another two years before he saw his next international start with the Steelers.

Victory at the London 2012 Paralympic Games marked the beginning of an incredible run of success for Andrew, culminating in the Steelers’ epic 59-58 defeat of the USA in a double-overtime thriller at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, where they became the first team in wheelchair rugby history to win consecutive Paralympic gold medals and a world title in a four-year period.

Although Andrew missed the 2014 International Wheelchair Rugby Federation Wheelchair Rugby World Championships – and therefore, Australia’s only world title to date – he played a crucial role in helping to secure silver at both the 2010 and 2018 editions. And even still, 2014 was a mammoth year for Andrew – he received a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to sport, and prepared for the birth of his son, Jack, who was born on 1 January 2015.

At his second Games at Tokyo 2020, The Steelers’ nine-year reign as Paralympic champions came to a disappointing end when the team finished fourth after being defeated by Japan 52–60 in the bronze medal game. It was the first time in 17 years that the team didn’t win a medal.