Brayden
Foxley-Connolly

From Wheelchair basketball to Wheelchair rugby, Brayden Foxley-Connolly has his heart set on representing Australia at a Paralympic Games.

The Mackay athlete was struck with meningococcal disease when he was 22 months old.

After weeks in the intensive care unit, it was at the two-month period doctors made the call to operate, with a left through knee, partial right foot, right hand, and partial left-hand amputations.

Brayden was also left with an acquired brain injury affecting his learning capacity.

His family credits sport as his saving grace, heading to the local PCYC and seeing the Sporting Wheelies in action, changed the course of his career.

After eight years of hard work, Brayden was selected to represent Australia in Thailand in Under-23 wheelchair basketball tournament.

Brayden, who lists American superstar LeBron James as his hero, then went on to give wheelchair rugby a try, and hasn’t looked back.

He also credits Paralympians such as Tom O’Neill-Thorne and Matt McShane as his inspiration when pulling on the Green and Gold.