Back To News
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Aussie Trailblazer Accepts Major Wheelchair Rugby Post

Aussie Trailblazer Accepts Major Wheelchair Rugby Post

Aussie Trailblazer Accepts Major Wheelchair Rugby Post
Spread the love

At Tokyo 2020 she became the first woman to represent Australia in wheelchair rugby at the Paralympic Games. Last year she was part of the Aussie Steelers side that won the World Championship. Now Shae Graham has achieved another major first, being appointed to the influential position of World Wheelchair Rugby Athlete Representative.

What is your motivation to be part of the World Wheelchair Rugby Athlete Council?

SG: Being asked if I was interested in being the Athlete Representative for World Wheelchair Rugby was actually a huge shock. It wasn’t something I was expecting or a role I was seeking out. So, I did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people before making the decision to take on the role.

What will your role entail? What are the next steps?

SG: As the Athlete Representative I have a position on the WWR board and will work with the board and the Athlete Council. My goal is to create an effective athlete voice that represents what the players want to see in and around the sport. Ultimately, I took on the position to support and promote the voices of the athletes in our sport.

The WWR Athlete Council has been in place since 2014. How significant do you think its impact has been?

SG: Jens, the former Athlete Representative, and the Athlete Council have done a lot of great work that has had a big impact. It’s important that when decisions are made that impact the sport and us as athletes, we have a voice and someone looking out for our interests and keeping our sport great.

Help tomorrow’s Para-athletes discover their sporting passion. Donate today!

Are there specific areas of interest or objectives you plan to focus on?

SG: There are so many things about this opportunity that interest me. Not only is it a great opportunity to grow personally and professionally, but it also provides me with an opportunity to learn more about how WWR operates.

One of my objectives is to make the Athlete Council more accessible and easier to contact. I want athletes to be able to contact us if they have thoughts on issues they think need changing. I’m also interested in trying to grow the sport by increasing women’s participation levels and hopefully by getting more countries involved. For example, it would be great to see Fiji and Samoa in the mix.

Wheelchair rugby is perhaps the most popular Paralympic sport. Where does it go from here? Where do you see it in, say, five or 10 years?

SG: Wheelchair rugby will continue to grow in popularity. It’s a fantastic sport. It’s fun, fast paced and highly strategic and the best part about it is that it’s inclusive. In five to 10 years you will see more countries with international teams, you will see a lot more women playing and more women-only comps. Hopefully you will be able to see our sport played and talked about on prime time TV.

*The Steelers will contest the Asia Oceania Championship starting on June 29 in Tokyo.

Classification – Athlete – State
3.5 – Chris Bond (C) – QLD
3.5 – Ryley Batt – QLD
3.5 – Brayden Foxley-Conolly – QLD
3.0 – Jayden Warn – VIC
2.5 – Shae Graham* – VIC
2.5 – Ella Sabljak* – QLD
2.0 – Andrew Edmondson – NSW
2.0 – Josh Nicholson – QLD
1.0 – Jake Howe – WA
0.5 – Michael Ozanne – QLD
0.5 – James McQuillan – VIC
0.5 – Emilie Miller* – NSW

*denotes a 0.5 bonus as a female athlete

By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 23 June