WCS Volunteers Recognised by DSR
Wheelchair Sports WA volunteers Aaron Camm, Sam Clark, "Doc" Doherty, Caitlin Dransfield and Peter "Yogi" Houlis were invited to attend the Department of Sport and Recreation Volunteers Breakfast last week.
As part of National Volunteer Week DSR held a Volunteer Recognition Breakfast on Wednesday 15th at Patterson's Stadium. The event recognised the efforts of over 100 volunteers in the sporting sector.
Sport and Recreation Minister Terry Waldron spoke at the event saying there were an estimated 1.5 million adult volunteers across Australia. "It is estimated that each volunteer saves the community $1554 each year-over $322 million in time and expertise". WCS member and volunteer Sam Clark was also invited to speak at the event.
With volunteers outnumbering paid sporting roles 100 to 1 the importance and value of volunteers can not be debated.
Wheelchair Sports WA would like to give a sincere thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers for their ongoing support, without your commitment the Association would be unable to function.
WCS Welcomes New Treasurer
Wheelchair Sports WA would like to welcome newly appointed treasurer Scott Mison to the board.
Scott joins Wheelchair Sports with a wealth of experience in the financial sector including past roles of Chief Financial Officer, Company Secretary and Executive Director with various mining companies.
Scott is a current Director of several publically listed companies and brings his extensive knowledge of stakeholder needs and corporate governance to Wheelchair Sports WA.
An avid cyclist and triathlete Scott joins the association with an evident passion for sport in the community and has said he looks forward to contributing to the Association and its members.
Wheelchair Sports WA would also like to offer our sincere thanks to outgoing treasurer Simon Terry for his contributions to the association over the last 5 years. We wish Simon well as he takes on a new role with BHP Billiton and relocates to Africa.
WCS Visits Munda Biddi
Newly appointed CEO Raymond Yong, General Manager Gary Lees and Be Active Perth Wheelcat Andrew Liddawi recently visited the finishing site of the Munda Biddi trail.
The Munda Biddi trail is a 1000km off-road cycling track stretching from Albany to the finishing site of Mundaring. The gruelling course has sections that have limited accessibility winding through the West Australian landscape.
The visit had particular resonance with athlete Andrew Liddawi who plans to conquer the Munda Biddi in its entirety once his new off-road hand cycle arrives from overseas.
Wheelchair Sports WA will continue to work closely with the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation and Andrew in organising his exciting new venture, for further details visit Andrew's blog: http://breaktheboundary.com/
2013 Scholarships
Applications for the 2013 Frank Ponta and Sir George Bedbrook scholarships are now open.
These scholarships aim to encourage both participation and development and are not aimed at current elite level athletes. Junior athletes (under 18) are eligible for the Frank Ponta and athletes over 18 may apply for the Sir George Bedbrook scholarship.
Scholarships may cover costs such as coaching fees, gym memberships, entry fees and the purchase of sporting equipment.
The number of members who may be awarded scholarships is not limited and each application will be assessed on an individual basis, applications are due on Friday May 24th.
To download a copy of the application form please click here.
Queries and completed applications should be directed to Gary Lees on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Shooting Come and Try Day A Success
The Paralympic Shooting program in WA has received a major boost with Australian coaches this weekend visiting the Claremont PCYC to offer guidance to potential athletes attending the APC Come and Try Day.
A fantastic turn out for the day impressed visiting coach Miro Sipek who saw many potential athletes and now looks forward to atendees becoming involved with WA clubs to further their potential.
Classification details will be released as they become available as will future domestic competition information.
Thank you to the rifle range volunteers for assisting on the day, the APC for running the day and a special thanks to the visiting Australian coachs for your expertise.
If you would like further information on the WCS Paralympic Shooting program please contact the office on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
20 Years 20 Stories-Disability Discrimination Act
Graeme Innes AM, Disability Discrimination Commissioner Chaired a forum in Perth yesterday evening to celebrate and publicise the 20th anniversary of the Discrimination Act.
Mr Innes told the audience that in March of this year Australia’s Disability Discrimination Act turned 20. He’d like all of us to share in the celebrations.
To recognise how the lives of Australians with disability have changed during this period, a series called “twenty years, twenty stories” has been compiled.
These stories, in the form of short videos, illustrate those changes, and show how the law has been used to achieve systemic change.
Click on the link below to view these video short stories.
Governor's Tennis Day
The inaugural Governor's Tennis Day was generously hosted by Cottesloe Tennis Club on Friday 12th April.
Despite the weather the day was a great success with paralympians Shaun Norris and Nigel Barley on hand to show their Paralympic medals. Rising stars Andrew Dewberry and Georgia Inglis were also recruited to provide a match demonstration to the enthusiastic crowd.
The day raised funds for both indigenous tennis in WA and wheelchair tennis through Variety WA and the Cottesloe Tennis Club.
Newly appointed Fed Cup Captain Alicia Molik generously gave up her time to attend and new CEO Raymond Yong was in attendance to officially receive the new tennis wheelchairs from His Excellency Mr Malcolm McCusker.
WCS would like to sincerely thank the organising committee for the day headed by Mr Laurence Pace, the day was a fantastic success and we look forward to working with the committee again in the future.
If you are interested in WCS' Tennis Program then please contact the office on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
National Results Roundup
Sporting fans were spoilt for choice this week with Wheelchair Sports WA athletes competing in six National Championships across Australia.
Athletics, Hand-Cyling, Rugby, Shooting, Swimming and Table Tennis Championships saw athletes travel from Adelaide to Ballarat with some promising results from athletes.
The National Age Swimming Championships were held in Adelaide with WCS athletes Ben Popham, Liam Smith and Guy Harrison-Murray performing very strongly to bring home multiple medals. This year was the first that multi-class Nationals were combined with the able bodied Championships. The meet was a resounding success with Guy picking up 4 silvers in the 400 Free, 50 Free, 50 Butterfly and 100 Free while he also picked up a bronze in the 50 Backstroke.
Ben Popham, competing in the same age group as Guy took on a huge program over the meet to record some fantastic PB swims. Ben recorded a 9 second PB in the 400 Freesyle to finish 12th whilst in the 100 Backstroke he recorded another 9 second PB.
Liam Smith competed in the 16-18 yrs multi-class category in a staggering 8 events across the weekend. Liam's best performance came in the 100 Backstroke with a 2 second PB earning him a silver medal. He also picked up 2 bronze medals in the 100 Free and 50 Back setting a near 2 second PB in the 100 Free. Liam also set a massive 5 second PB in the 400 Freestyle.
A team of 3 athletes travelled to Sydney for the National Athletics Championships under the tutelage of coach Mark Bannister. Andrew Bannister ran in the T36 400, 200 and 100 recording a PB in the 400 with a time of 74.37. Rising star Tristan Lewis-Black smashed his previous PB by 3.4 seconds in the T44 400m and also broke his 100m PB by 0.15 seconds. New member Chad Perris placed 4th in both the 100m and 200m improving on his previous best in the 100m by 0.04 seconds.
Rising star Connor Johnstone was also in action at the National Table Tennis Championships in Ballarat over the weekend putting in a solid performance. Connor won a swag of medals including bronze in both the single and doubles standing divisions. Connor also won 2 silver medals in the class 8 singles division and class 8-10/deaf teams division.
Anton Zappelli and Joe Davey represented WA at the National Shooting Championships in Brisbane with both athletes competing in the SH1 prone class. Anton shot a 589/600 whilst Joe shot a 578/600 a fantastic performance by both the guys. With the national coaches travelling to WA in early May (3rd-5th) if you are interested in trying shooting then contact the office for further info.
Our largest ever team of 8 athletes travelled to Echuca for the National Handcycling Series with some fantastic results achieved. Paralympic silver medallist Nigel Barley was dominant in the H3 category taking out the Road Race by 22 minutes to 2nd placed WCS athlete Richard Williams. Nigel also won the H3 Time Trial by 6 minutes with Richard placing 3rd on the shorter course. Neil McDougall finished in 6th place for both the time trial and road race.
In the H2 category Peter Allen finished 6th in a strong Time Trial field with fellow WCS athlete James Ormerod finishing 10th. The gruelling Road Race course saw Peter finish in 7th and James again in 10th. In the women's H2 category WA's sole female rider Louise Mofflin finished 2nd in both the time trial and road race.
WCS' had two competitors in the H1 division with Craig Parsons taking out both the time trial and road race by staggering margins. Fellow H1 competitor Scott Hewitt finished 4th in both events.
Congratulations to all athletes who competed over the last week and we look forward to keeping members up to date with athlete results over the coming weeks.
Norris Wins International Player of the Year
Be Active Perth Wheelcats captain Shaun Norris recently took out his first Sandy Blythe medal at the iiNet Basketball Australia MVP Dinner.
Norris averaged 9.6 points at 40.6% FG, 4 assists and 4 rebounds and was oustanding in the Rollers London silver medal campaign.
Shaun's win continues the recent Wheelcats domination of the award with Justin Eveson previously winning 2008-10.
Unfortunately Shaun was unable to accept the award given he was touring Italy for the Rollers training camp.
Congratualtions also to former Be Active Western Stars player Cobi Crispin who took out her second consecutive Sue Hobbs medal for Women's International Player of the Year.
WCS Quiz Night
WCS' Annual Quiz Night will be held on Saturday 25th May 7pm at the Herb Graham Recreation Centre, Mirrabooka.
The theme for this year is "W" so come along dressed as anything starting with W and for those who need some creative suggestions: Wizard, Wolf, Wolverine, Whale, Wheelcat, Witch and Willy Wonka.
With door, best dressed and raffle prizes the night promises to be a great one so get a table together and come along and support Wheelchair Sports WA.
Tickets are $10 pp with tables of 8 costing $80 and can be paid to Mandy Basson on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Woodfired pizza, coffee, cake and drinks will be available on the night and BYO nibbles welcomed.
Vale: Reg Holmes
Wheelchair Sports WA would like to offer our sincere condolences to the Holmes family on the passing of Reg Holmes.
Reg made such a significant contribution to Wheelchair Sports WA over a great number of years, particularly through organising the state wheelchair basketball competition and his involvement in wheelchair basketball at all levels.
The entire Holmes family are a huge part of the Wheelchair Sports WA family and Reg’s passing is a great loss.
WCS Appoints New CEO
Wheelchair Sports WA is extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Raymond Yong to the role of Chief Executive Officer.
Raymond brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously worked in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore for the antecedent firms of KPMG and Deloittes. His extensive career in financial services working for both an Australian and a foreign bank has included roles as Senior Manager Corporate Banking, State Manager for both banks in different states, Director of Strategy & Investments and Head of Risk. Raymond has also operated his own business consulting practice providing services to the small and mid-sized enterprise sector.
Raymond holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Western Australia, is a Certified Practising Accountant and is a Graduate member of the Australian Company of Directors. In his spare time, Raymond has previously Chaired and continues to serve on the Committee of Management of the Rottnest Channel Swim Association; host of the iconic Rottnest Channel swim crossing held in February each year.
On the personal front, Ray is an avid swimmer, loves bush walking, reading, movies, surfing (though he hasn’t done much of this lately!) and is married with three children; Ellie 22, Jeremy 19 and Miranda 13.
When asked about his appointment, Ray said “I feel privileged to be given the chance to lead an organisation which delivers services and creates opportunity for so many in our community. I will be doing a lot of listening and learning from our members, staff and our many stakeholders over the coming months. If I don’t get around to meeting each of you personally, please come and introduce yourself to me. I am keen to hear your stories and to learn how we can all continue to improve the activities of Wheelchair Sports WA”.
We are excited to welcome Ray to our association and look forward to helping him take the Wheelchair Sports WA community on the next stage of its already long journey.
NHS Perth Results
WCS recently hosted the Perth round of the National Handcycling Series with 19 competitors from around Australia and New Zealand involved.
The Road Race was hotly contested with Nigel Barley (WA) and Grant Allen (SA) breaking away from the pack on the first lap of the 50 km race to set a blistering pace. A chase pack of 4 riders that included WA's Richard Williams kept the leaders under pressure through the first lap.
An unfortunate puncture for Grant Allen on the second lap gave Nigel Barley a huge lead from the chase pack as began Lap 3 with a two minute buffer to the next competitor. A puncture to Craig Parsons followed by some gearing issues meant he had to pull out of the race leaving fellow WA competitor Scott Hewitt to take out the H1 category.
In the competitive H3 category Nigel Barley tamed the gruelling Wandi course posting a great time of 1:30:28, Richard Williams made it a WA quinella in the H3 category with a time of 1:39:16. The H2 category was taken out by exciting prospect Alex Welsh (Vic) in 1:39:16 with Peter Allen the best performing WA athlete coming in 4th for the category.
For the women London 2012 gold medallist Carol Cooke (Vic) posted a blistering time of 1:10:37 for 34km and Louise Mofflin (WA) finished 2nd in the WH2 category with a time of 1:43.
Sunday saw Champion Lakes host the Time Trial event with riders starting on 1 minute intervals. Craig Parsons recovered from his puncture to take out the H1 class event with an impressive time of 41:04:90.
Katrina Porter recovered from illness to compete in the WH2/3 combined category and finished 3rd behind Louise Mofflin and NZ's Tiffiney Perry.
Alex Walsh was again impressive in the H2 category winning in a time of 34:10:70 but Nigel Barley once again reigned supreme posting the fastest time of the day at 30:06:60 over 20km avergaing just under 40km/h. Grant Allen again pushed Nigel with a fantastic time of 32:19:30 to claim 2nd in the H3 category.
A sincere thank you to all volunteers that helped out over the weekend and Peter Meyer of ATTA for his continued support of WCS, without your help the event simply would not have been possible.
Summer Final Results
The Be Active State Summer Basketball Competition has drawn to a close for 2013.
The A grade finals were played on Monday 18th March with G-Monsters and Magpies contesting the final.
With key players Rob Pike and Kathleen O'Kelly-Kennedy unavailable Magpies struggled from the outset heading into the half time break trailing by 17 points. Brant Garvey top scored for the Magpies with 9 points and worked tirelessly at both ends of the court.
However Magpies couldn't match the scoring power of a G-Monsters team that featured Justin Eveson, Adam Deans and Josh Eveson with the 3 talls dominating the boards at both ends. Justin Eveson showed his undeniable class leading all scorers with 40 points that included 5 consecutive threes in the final half with Adam Deans also contributing with 18 points for the game.
In the playoff for 3rd position BOHICA took on the Black Ducks with the game set to be the last for Craig Bartlett at the helm of the junior side. The Black Ducks showed plenty of promise with Amber Merritt leading the scoring with 11 for the game and Stevie Shaw showing excellent hustle, but the experience of BOHICA was evident and Be Active Perth Wheelcats players Shaun Norris (27) and Sam Clark (15) were dominant.
Precision passing from BOHICA delighted those watching but the final score blew out to a 49 point margin. Unfortunately not the send off Bartlett would have hoped for but Wheelchair Sports WA would like to thank Craig for all his efforts over the past 6 years and wish him well with his growing family.
In the 5th/6th playoff Mighty Purple Dragons took on Sonny and Chair contesting a tight encounter that was decided in the final minute of the game. Amanda Nott (12) and Travis Hayto (16) both scored heavily for the Purple Dragons whilst Lual Amoly was impressive for Sonny and Chair with 11 points. Purple Dragons edged out Sonny and Chair for a 40-36 victory.
Tuesday saw the B grade finals with Stallions taking on Wheelers and Dealers first up in the playoff for 3rd. The game was tight with Stallions winning by 2 points and Simon Du top scoring with 6 points for Stallions whilst Jordan Overend led the scoring for Wheelers and Dealers.
The later final was a fantastic game with the Juniors winning by 3 points in overtime. Andrew Dewberry led all scorers with 11 points in a performance that showed his future potential. Stevie Shaw also led from the front with 9 for the game. Brute Force had an even scoring spread with Phil Vinci and Ian Newman top scoring with 8 points each.
Well done to all involved and thank you to the referees and Holmes family who operated the score bench, the winter comp will start in May.
WCS Athletes on National Scene
WCS will be well represented in the coming weeks with many athletes to compete on the national stage.
In Wheelchair Basketball news Basketball Australia today announced its U23 Rollers Team to compete at the world cup qualifier in Thailand during June. Included in the team of 12 were WCS athletes Kayl Jeffery, Jake Kavanagh and Ryan Morich.
The U23 Rollers will then link up for a training amp in May before contesting the World Cup in Turkey, 12-22 September.
Kayl has also been selected to join Be Active Perth Wheelcats team mates Justin Eveson, Shaun Norris, Michael Hartnett, Adam Deans, Andrew Liddawi and Brad Ness for the Rollers squad camp in Varese, Italy March 25th-30th.
Our WCS footballers Chris Barty, Michael Debenham and Jordan DeStefano will attend another Pararoos camp over Easter before Chris and Michael compete in Canada during April.
Four WCS rugby athletes Scott Joyce, Zeb Gibson, Aaron Camm and Nick Peters will compete in Tournament 1 of the National Wheelchair Rugby Series in Melbourne April 12th-14th. The tournament will provide invaluable competition for the West Coast Enforcers most experienced players.
Good luck to all of our athletes and we will update members of their results as they come in.
Local Rugby Comp Restarts
The State Rugby competition has recommenced with games on Thursday nights.
Games will be played at 7:00 and 8:00 timeslots with one team to play a double header each week. Games will follow the national format of 4 x 12 min quarters and the final 2 minutes of each quarter to be timed.
The league provides a great preparation for the West Coast Enforcers leading into the National Championships.
The cost of playing is $10 and there are club chairs available to use
New players are always welcome, enquiries can be made to Lindal at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 6143 5800.
Summer Finals Fixtures
The finals fixtures of the Be Active Summer State Basketball competition have now been finalised with A Grade finals to be played next Monday 18th March.
Timeslots are:
7:00pm Sonny and Chair V Mighty Purple Dragons
7:50pm Black Ducks V BOHICA
8:40pm Magpies V G-Monsters
B Grade finals will be played on the following night Tuesday 19th March with the following timeslots.
7:00pm Wheelers & Dealers V Stallions
7:50pm Brute Force V Juniors
Good luck to all involved and if you can get down to have a look at some high quality basketball entry is free!
RAC Launches Wheels2go
Intro
RAC has launched an exciting new program Wheels2go that provides roadside assistance for mobility devices.
In most cases an RAC patrol is able to replace flat tyres and batteries and get you back on the road in no time!
If RAC are unable to get your device mobile they can help out by arranging a taxi or calling a friend/carer, your Wheels2go membership entitles you to 5 taxi trips a year ($275 value per year)
Membership application forms are available from the WCS office or RAC directly, membership is $65 for the year which includes the $45 membership fee and a one off $20 joining fee. If you join before 31st May 2013 the $20 joining fee will be waived and the yearly cost is $45.
For more information please go to the RAC website www.rac.com.au or phone 13 17 03
Paralympic Football Takes Centre Stage at Glory Game
Paralympic Football will take to the big stage next Sunday 17th March at Pattersons Stadium.
An exhibition game will be held during half time of the Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix fixture.
We wish our WCS athletes luck and if you want to have a look tickets are still available at http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/perthglory/fixturesandresults
WCS AFL Tipping is Back
For all those budding or experienced tipsters out there WCS is once again running and AFL Tipping competition through 2013.
The cost of joining is only $25 and a weekly $15 prize will be given with the remaining pool divided between 1st-3rd placed tipsters.
To join go to www.footytips.com.au and click on New Tipsters Join Online to fill out the rego form. Once you have finished the form you will be sent a confirmation email, pass this and your entry fee on to the front office at WCS, Mirrabooka.
Anyone is welcome to join, the more who sign up the bigger the prize pool!
For more info contact Doug on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to the Senior Wheelies webpage at www.seniorwheelieswa.com.au
Greenspeed GTH For Sale
A Greenspeed GTH recumbant hand trike in mint condition is for sale.
The bike is extremely manoeuvrable with a tighter turning circle than other hand cycles and may be taken off road making it a great recreational bike.
The bike has been used few times as its previous owner sustained a shoulder injury after purchasing.
For further information please contact Mary Ipkendanz at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with inspections welcome.
Last Chance to Join our Day at the Races
If you haven't already registered your interest for our March social event now is your last chance to join us for "A Day at the Races".
The event will be held on Wednesday 27th March at the Flying Colours restaurant, Ascot Racecourse 12-5pm.
A two course roast lunch will be served with a cost of $10 for financial members and $30 for non-members.
Get in by Friday 8th March to reserve your spot!
If you are interested in coming along for a great social day then contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 6143 5800
Wheelcats Shave for Charity
Intro
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats will be shaving and colouring their hair as part of the World's Greatest Shave.
The shave will happen on Friday 15th March with the venue TBC and all money raised will go directly to the Leukaemia Foundation to aid blood cancer research in Australia.
This is a great cause with 31 Australians per day being diagnosed with some form of blood cancer.
If you would like to donate to the Wheelcats cause please visit this link http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/wheelcats?TSID=22641
Footballers Selected in Pararoos
Earlier this month 3 WCS football athletes were invited to attend the Pararoos training camp in Sydney.
Chris Barty, Michael Debenham and Jordan De Stefano flew the WA flag at the camp with Chris and Michael selected to compete at the Canadian Invitational Tournament in April. The tournament will be a lead up to the Intercontinental Championships to be held in Barcelona, Spain later this year.
A special mention must also go to Jordan De Stefano who at just 19 years of age attended his first Pararoos camp.
See below for the full team list:
David Barber QLD
Chris Pyne NSW
Ben Atkins NSW
Chris Barty WA
Scott Kennedy QLD
Michael Debenham WA
Connor Marsh NSW
Ryan Kinner SA
Jack Williams NSW
Brett Fairhall NSW
James Turner NSW
Cameron Gudgeon ACT
Powerlifters Set Huge PB's
WCS Powerlifters Ben Wright and Nang Nguyen have both produced stellar PB performances at the recent QLD State Powerlifting Championships.
Ben Wright was the biggest improver of the meet with a whopping 10kg PB to lift 150kg in the 88kg weight division.
Also performing well was Nang Nguyen who lifted 116kg in the 54kg weight division to set a PB.
Well done to both athletes and we look forward to watching them further progress towards the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
More results from the meet can be found at http://www.sportingwheelies.org.au/news/362-powerlifters-raise-the-bar-at-state-champs
Fury Cricketer Takes the Dive for WCS
Western Fury spinner Mel Holmes will sky dive from 10,000 ft next month to raise funds for Wheelchair Sports WA.
A star performer for the WA women's cricket team Mel has been an avid supporter of WCS and has a strong personal connection to the association.
"One of my best mates is confined to a wheelchair with Spina Bifida so it means a lot to me," she said.
"I've also done a few appearances for Wheelchair Sports with the Fury and been involved with the Wheelcats and they're amazing, so I'm keen to help."
Mel has set an aim of $1000 to raise and is already half way to her target, any donation small or large is much appreciated and can be made at the below address:
http://www.everydayhero.com.au/mels_big_jump
Stay tuned to hear how Mel goes!
WCS Swimmers Shine at State Champs
WCS was well represented at the recent Swimming WA State Open and Age Long Course Championships with our swimmers posting numerous personal best times and picking up severl medals along the way.
Liam Smith had a busy but very successful meet competing in 8 events and taking out first place in 7 of those events. Liam's rivalry with Josh Hofer was renewed with Liam recording PB times in most of his events. In particular he wiped 6 seconds off his previous best in the 200 IM whilst smashing his previous best by 8 seconds in the 100m Breaststroke.
Swimming in his only event for the meet Ben Popham smashed his previous personal best of 6:41:68 to claim second behind Liam in a time of 6:32:96 in the Open 400m Freestyle.
Madeleine Scott also had a busy meet competing in the 100m Breaststroke, 100m Butterfly, 200 IM and 50m. Whilst Madeleine didn't post any PB's for the meet she still won the majority of events she entered in a great effort from her.
Nicole Scott competed in the 50m Freestyle finishing with a time of 36:52 to claim silver behind Katherine Downie.
Superfins Swimming Club will be having a club swim on February 16th for further details please contact Lindal on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Powerlifting Come and Try Day
If you're looking for a new sport to start the new year then why not try Powerlifting?
WA has produced some world class power lifters in recent years with the emergence of Nang Nguyen and Ben Wright aiming for Rio 2016.
The event willl be held on Saturday 2nd February 2-4pm at the Western Force gym next to Challenge Stadium.
Pre-registration is required so if you would like to attend contact Scott Upston on 0401 202 099 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Junior Camp 2013
Last Friday night a group of 20 eager campers arrived at Point Walter Recreation Centre for Junior Camp 2013. After settling into our rooms we were treated to a delicious BBQ followed by chocolate cake that went down a treat before starting our quiz night.
It was an early start on Saturday with a quick breakfast before embarking on the morning's activities after being joined by some of our younger Little Dribblers. The kids were split into two groups with paddling and the mysterious "Amazing Race" activity on the agenda for the morning. With a few spills on the water and some great raps created up at the campsite (special mention to Andrew, Sebastian, Amber, Tiarne and Sarah) everyone was thankful for a great lunch and some free time in the afternoon.
Most spent the arvo by the pool before dinner and a movie night, in which we were treated to a fireworks display and a showing of She's The Man which produced some laughs from all.
Sunday saw a few more sluggish arisings from everyone with breakfast followed by a quick cleanout and packup of the rooms. Next it was on to the flying fox and abseiling activities which produced a fair few squeals from kids and adults alike! A subway lunch awaited the hungry campers before it was time to say goodbye. An action pa~cked whirlwind weekend was over very quickly!
I would like to sincerely thank the great group of volunteers that attended camp this year, we would be unable to run the program without you and being my first WCS camp I greatly appreciated all your help!
Finally thank you to the generous support of the Disabled Children's Foundation, without your support the camp would simply not be possible.
Be Active Wheelcats Showcase Skills at Wildcats Game
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats had the opportunity to play an exhibition game at the Perth Wildcats v Cairns Taipans game on Friday 18th January. In front of a huge crowd of nearly 12,000 the Be Active Perth Wheelcats put on a display of their skills during two demonstration games, which took place prior to the opening tip off and at half time of the Wildcats game.
The players were extremely excited to be playing in the state of the art Perth Arena, with even Paralympians Justin Eveson and Shaun Norris thrilled by the prospect. Whilst the players showed a bit of rust from the long off season, the crowd were suitably impressed by their display of speed, aggression and skill. With the commencement of the 2013 National Wheelchair Basketball League still five months away, the players have plenty of time to fine tune their skills as they attempt to win back the Championship from the Wollongong Rollerhawks.
The highlight of the night came during three quarter time of the Wildcats game, as Justin Eveson was selected to be the ‘celebrity’ free throw shooter. Eveson joined the likes of Ernie Dingo, Cal Bruton and Zac Clark to take up the challenge of shooting as many free throws as possible in 30 seconds. Everyone from the Be Active Perth Wheelcats had faith that Eveson would do well, however everyone in the packed out stadium were in shock to see him knock down an amazing 17 shots, to smash the previous record!
Thanks to Nick Marvin and the staff at the Perth Wildcats for the great opportunity to showcase wheelchair basketball to such a large audience and the Be Active Perth Wheelcats look forward to more in the future.
Summer Basketball Starts Again
Registrations for the Summer basketball competition are now open.
The competition runs for 6 weeks starting on Monday 4th February for A grade and Tuesday 5th February for B grade finishing on the 18th/19th March.
Games will be played at the Herb Graham Rec Centre with timeslots of 6:50, 7:40 and 8:30.
If you would like to register a team in either the A or B grade competition then please contact Lindal on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with registrations due by January 23rd.
Summer Basketball Starts Again (2)
Registrations for the Summer basketball competition are now open.
The competition runs for 6 weeks starting on Monday 4th February for A grade and Tuesday 5th February for B grade finishing on the 18th/19th March.
Games will be played at the Herb Graham Rec Centre with timeslots of 6:50, 7:40 and 8:30.
If you would like to register a team in either the A or B grade competition then please contact Lindal on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with registrations due by January 23rd.
February Seniors Lunch
The Senior Wheelies are holding their first event of 2013 on Saturday March 16th at Herb Graham from 12:30.
Come along to catch up with friends and start 2013 with a great day out!
A roast lunch with beer, wine, soft drink, tea and coffee will be provided, members $10 per head and $15 for non-members.
RSVP by 8th March to Doug at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lindal This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Payment may be made at reception of the Wheelchair Sports office or over the phone on 6143 5800.
Wheelcats/Stars Take BE ACTIVE Message to Mandurah
Some of the stars of the Be Active Perth Wheelcats and Be Active Western Stars have taken the Be Active Message down to Mandurah this past weekend for the first ever 3-on-3 Wheelchair Basketball competition.
Hosted in Association with the Mandurah Magic, the day was more about participation that elite competition and gave some young up and comers the chance to hit the court with the likes of Rollers player Justin Eveson and Shaun Norris.
The format was simple. Win and you move up a court, lose and you drop down. If you managed to keep winning and make your way to the top court, Shaun Norris and Justin Eveson were waiting for you. Beat them and you would be crowned champions of the day. Unfortunately for the team though, no one was able to get with in striking distance of the all Rollers team despite there only being two of them.
Perth Heat Game
As 2013 quickly approaches we look forward to our first social event for the year.
On Friday January 11th reigning ABL champions the Perth Heat host Adelaide Bite at Baseball Park, Thornlie.
WCS members are invited to view batting and field practice from 5:15pm with first pitch to be thrown at 7:20pm.
There is no cost for 2013 financial WCS members with entry, sausage sizzle and soft drink included. Non-members can purchase tickets at the reduced price of $8.
Contact Lindal Rohde on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register your interest.
Merry Christmas from WCS
From all the staff at Wheelchair Sports we would like to wish all our members and their families a safe and happy festive season.
The office will be closed from Thursday 20th December until Wednesday 2nd January.
2012 has been another great year for WCS highlighted by the success of the London Paralympics and we look forward to seeing you all in 2013!
Ultimate Honour For Doc
Long-time Wheelchair Sports WA member, Des Doherty, or Doc as he is more affectionately known, had to fight back tears as he was awarded Life Membership to Wheelchair Sports WA after almost 20 years as one of the Association’s most treasured volunteers.
Receiving his award in front of a packed house at Wheelchair Sports WA’s Annual Sports Star of the Year awards on Saturday night, Doc was also the recipient of Wheelchair Sports Australia’s Lord Taverners Award. His outstanding contributions to junior disability sport at a national level made him only the fourth Western Australian to receive this prestigious award.
The eruption of cheers from members, athletes and VIP guests was indicative of the countless number of lives Doc has made a difference to in his time with the Association.
Doc was introduced to Wheelchair Sports WA in 1994 with son Shaun, who was born with Spina Bifida.
His passion from the very beginning was junior sport. Doc spent 15 years as a junior sports coach, has been a volunteer staff member at the Association’s junior recreation camp on 13 separate occasions and chaperoned teams of athletes to Junior National Games seven times.
Doc was awarded the Wheelchair Sports WA’s Volunteer of the Year award in 2007 and 2008 and could have won it on any number of other occasions.
Upon receiving his awards, Doc was clearly emotional reminiscing about one of the legends of Wheelchair Sports WA and international Paralympic sport, the late Frank Ponta.
“I just wish Frank was here to see this” he remarked when asked about his motivation to help junior athletes.
“I love that no matter who you are or how good you think you are or aren’t, everyone can have a go”
“I saw a very good friend of mine receive the Lord Taverners award a few years back and I thought to myself, now that is someone that deserves this award. For me to be recognised alongside him and some of the other previous winners of this award is extremely humbling”
Joel is Leaving
As most people already know, it will come as no great shock, but after four and a half years I am moving on from Wheelchair Sports WA. Well, moving away actually as I will be moving to Sydney.
I am sincere when I say that I have absolutely loved my time at Wheelchair Sports WA (WSWA). I know it’s extremely clichéd and after almost 5 years working with WSWA you do become somewhat numb to it but… I have been, on a daily basis, inspired by WSWA and its members.
If I was to put down some of my highlights of my time, they might not be what you would expect. Of course it was amazing to see WSWA represented at the Paralympic Games in both Beijing and London. I have always loved watching the Be Active Perth Wheelcats and I’ve enjoyed all of the on and off field success of members. However, the highlights of my time at WSWA are about much more than winning or losing. They are some of the small, sometimes seemingly insignificant things that I will remember most.
I absolutely loved the week in Melbourne with the 40-strong team for the Australian Paralympic Youth Games in 2009. I remember on uniform presentation night, each athlete and staff member was presented with their team uniform and asked to introduce themselves and share what they’d hoped to achieve at the Games. Most people, giggled, laughed and nervously stuttered their way through. I could see Petri Gildenhuys, a young 15-year-old athlete, sitting nervously and dreading his name being called. When his name was called, he walked to the front, head down and took the microphone. He was so overcome by nerves and stage fright that he could not speak. He returned to his seat, dejected. He watched 30 fellow athletes and 10 staff receive their uniforms and speak to the group. Once everybody was finished and had their opportunity to speak, Petri decided there was something he needed to do. He walked back up the front and asked if he was able to try again. He nervously introduced himself and very quickly became stuck for words and so told the group that he liked dogs. It didn’t matter what he said or how he said it. For him to be so overwhelmed by fear, and then stand up and face it in front of almost 100 people took the utmost courage. That is a moment I will not easily forget.
There are countless reasons why people play sport and the benefits they receive from it. But at Wheelchair Sports, it seems to mean so much more. This was never more evident to me when Amber Merritt was told she wasn’t able to play at the Kevin Coombs Cup this year due to Gliders commitments in the lead up to the Paralympic Games. Nevertheless, she attended the uniform presentation night. She fought back tears as she stood before the group and spoke about what it meant for her to pull on that black and gold jersey, representing Western Australia with a group of her friends. Unlike Petri, Amber wasn’t fighting back tears because she was nervous or scared. Her tears were of disappointment that she couldn’t be there, side by side with her friends when they hit the court and at the same time of pride and happiness for her friends and team mates that had been selected in the team.
I will miss things like the bumper cars at the Christmas Party, holding on to Patrick or Bianca so they didn’t kill themselves (thank god we still have about 10 years until they are let loose on the road), getting my haircut by Amber Merritt at junior camp and suiting up in purple every Monday night to play basketball. I will, of course, miss the job, but above all else, I will miss the people. The people involved with WSWA are what set this Association apart from so many others. I have been surrounded by some of the most selfless people who volunteer on a regular basis and some of the most inspiring and talented athletes in the world. And I truly mean that.
I want to say thank you to Gary Lees and the Board for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this world and to everyone else for being so welcoming. The friends I’ve made here will last a lifetime and you can be sure that the next time you are in Sydney competing, I will be there in the stands supporting (or heckling).
My last day of work will be Wednesday January 16th so please don’t be a stranger and make sure you drop in to say goodbye.
- Joel Mackenzie
Barley and Norris Share Top Honour
For the second consecutive year Nigel has taken out the top honour at the annual Sports Awards.
Achieving pre-selection for the Paralympics Nigel was able to solely focus upon his London preparations throughout 2012.
He began the year winning his 8th consecutive National Championship before embarking on the European circuit. In France Nigel picked up a gold and silver medal in the Time Trial and Road Race respectively. He continued to impress when he later travelled to Spain and won gold in the Time Trial.
His year culminated in his silver medal performance in the Men’s H3 Time Trial and a 4th place finish in the Road Race at the London Paralympics.
Shaun Norris was named the joint winner of the 2012 Sports Star of the Year to add to his previous wins in 2004 and 2010.
Captaining the Be Active Perth Wheelcats for the first time Shaun led from the front and was named mid-point MVP of the league to partner his selection in the league All-Star 5 as the team won a silver medal.
He was selected in the Australian Rollers team that won the Rollers and Gliders World Challenge.
At the London Paralympics Shaun showed his class averaging 14.5 points per game as the Rollers narrowly lost the gold medal match to Canada, earning themselves a silver medal.
Congratulations to both Nigel and Shaun, very deserving winners of the 2012 Sports Star of the Year award.
Sports Star Award Winners
The 17th Annual Sports Star of the Year Awards was held at Patterson’s Stadium on Saturday 17th November. The venue was filled to maximum capacity with over 200 guests as the association celebrated what was another fantastic year for Wheelchair Sports.
The first award for the night was presented to Gordon Cowper for his outstanding efforts in fundraising for the association.
Next up were the Super Series awards:
Field
3rd- Josh Cavanagh
2nd- Luther Frost-Barnes
1st- Chris Beer
Swimming
3rd- Ben Popham
2nd- Nicole Scott
1st- Carys Munks
Cycling
3rd- Peter Allen
2nd- Craig Parsons
1st- Nigel Barley
Track
3rd- Chris Minutillo
2nd – Sian Glanney
1st- Andrew Bannister
Amber Merritt won the Be Active Western Stars MVP for the second year in a row capping off a sensational year for the 19 year old. Amber led the league in scoring and was named High Point MVP in addition to earning a place in the All-Star 5.
Also for the second consecutive year Shaun Norris took out the Be Active Perth Wheelcats MVP award. Captaining the team for the first time Shaun led the team to a silver medal whilst individually he won the Mid Point MVP and selection in the NWBL All-Star 5.
The night also saw the 7th inductee to the Wheelchair Sports WA Hall of Fame. Long serving CEO and six-time Paralympian Bruce Wallrodt was honoured for his 20 years of sporting achievements. Bruce’s long list of achievements include four gold, two silver and two bronze Paralympic medals as well as nine world and six Australian records.
From 1989-90 Bruce held both WAIS and AIS scholarships. Bruce was also awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 1992 for his outstanding contribution to disability sport.
Des “Doc” Doherty has been honoured as the 19th life member of the association after more than 15 years of service to the organisation. Doc’s passion has always been junior sport and after joining with his son Shaun in 1994 Doc has volunteered at 13 National Junior Championships
Doc has previously won the Volunteer of the Year award twice in 2007-08 and was a very deserving winner of the Life membership award for 2012. In addition to this award Doc was also recognised nationally with the Lord Taverner’s Award.
Peter "Yogi"Houlis collected his second Volunteer of the Year award after his previous win in 2009. Yogi was a deserving winner for 2012 with his involvement including court presenting at all Stars and Wheelcats home games, organising the 2012 Quiz Night, assisting in the coordination of the Wheelchair Rugby competition and volunteering as a bus driver for the National Handcycling Series.
John Triscari picked up the Coach of the Year award after coaching the Be Active Western Stars to their 5th straight finals campaign and later coaching the Gliders to the gold medal match at the London Paralympics where they picked up a silver medal.
Team of the Year was taken out by the WA Handcycling Team who dominated this year's National Handcycling Championships combining for a total of 8 medals.
Michael Debenham capped off a superb 2012 winning the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year award. In his first year of Paralympic Football Michael was selected in the Pararoos team for tournaments in Abu Dhabi and the Ukraine after standing out for WA at the National Championships.
Amber Merrit picked up her second award of the night, winning the Junior Sports Star award following a stand out Paralympic campaign for the Gliders. Amber led the team in scoring despite coming off the bench and provided the match winning block for the Gliders to progress to the gold medal match.
Nigel Barley and Shaun Norris beat our fellow finalists Clare Nott and Brad Scott to share the coveted Sports Star of the Year award. After both dominating their respective national competitions Nigel brought home Australia's first ever handcycling medal at the Paralympics, a silver in the Time Trial. Shaun also brought home a silver medal from London, starring for the Rollers as they made the gold medal match.
Wheelchair Sports WA would like to congratulate all the award winners for 2012 and thank Pattersons Stadium for hosting the event.
Yogi Picks up Second Volunteer of the Year Award
Peter “Yogi”Houlis has taken out the Volunteer of the Year award for 2012.
Having previously won this award in 2009 Yogi once again was hard to go past in terms of his ongoing commitment and dedication to the Association.
Yogi is best known for his volunteer role as host of the radio show SPOKED.
2012 saw Yogi continue in his role of Court Announcer for the Be Active Perth Wheelcats as well as DJ for the Be Active Perth Wheelcats and Western Stars at all home games.
Yogi was also a member of the Wheelchair Sports fundraising committee and was instrumental in the organisation of the 2012 Quiz Night including the donation of prizes for the night.
In addition to this Yogi also volunteered as a bus driver for the National Handcycling Series and continued to assist in the coordination of the competition.
Congratulations on your award Yogi and a huge thankyou from the Association for all your efforts throughout 2012.
Triscari Honoured as Top Coach
Be Active Western Stars and Australian Gliders coach John Triscari has been honoured with the 2012 Coach of the Year award.
The year started off well for John who in February guided the Gliders to an Asia Oceania Championship.
The 2012 WNWBL saw the Stars claim bronze as John continues to shape this young team into a dominant force in search of their maiden championship.
The Gliders continued their perfect Paralympic preparations into the Rollers and Gliders World Challenge beating powerhouse Germany to take out the title.
The obvious highlight of John’s year however, was the Gliders silver medal at the London Paralympic Games. The tournament included a stunning one point victory over the USA in the semi-final to make the gold medal match against familiar foes Germany.
Unfortunately John was unable to attend the night but we would like to congratulate him on his award and look forward to the Stars continued development.
Merritt Named Best Junior
Amber Merritt has capped off a sensational 2012 by taking out the 2012 Junior Sports Star of the Year.
Amber dominated the WNWBL this year averaging 29 points and 12 rebounds per game to be awarded the league’s high point MVP and selection in the All-Star 5. For the second year running Amber was also the League’s leading scorer.
Her international year started with selection in the Gliders team for the Asia Oceania Championship and Rollers/Gliders World Challenge. In both tournaments Amber was named in the All-Star 5 and also won the Grand Final MVP in the Glider’s World Challenge.
Widely considered the find of the Paralympic tournament Amber led the Australian Gliders in scoring despite coming off the bench for the majority of the tournament. Her performance also included a match winning block to put the Gliders through to the Gold Medal Game.
Congratulations Amber on your award and we look forward to seeing you further develop towards Rio 2016.
Debenham Announced as Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Michael Debenham has taken out this year’s Breakthrough Athlete of the Year award following a stellar year which saw him announce his talent on the international stage.
Selected as part of Western Australia’s inaugural Paralympic Football Team Michael was a standout throughout the national tournament and scored WA’s first ever goal.
Michael then went on to be selected in the Pararoos team and travelled to the Ukraine for the International Invitational where Australia placed 8th.
Having established himself as a regular in the Pararoos starting seven he again earned selection in the team that placed 2nd at the AFC Dream Asia Tournament in Abu Dhabi.
With the Pararoos looking to qualify for their first Paralympics since Sydney 2000 Michael looks set to be a key player in the lead up to Rio 2016.
Congratulations Michael and we look forward to seeing your progress in 2013.
Handcyclists Named Team of the Year
Becoming the first team other than the Beactive Perth Wheelcats to win the award since 2005 the WA Handcycling Team has taken out the 2012 Team of the Year award.
Led by Paralympian Nigel Barley the team combined for 8 medals at National Championships.
Of the 8 gold medals on offer WA returned home with 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze to continue their ongoing dominance across all classes on the National stage.
Congratulations to Peter Allen, Jenni Banks, Nigel Barley, Louise Mofflin, James Ormerod, Craig Parsons and Richard Williams on a fantastic 2012.
Records and Medals at AWD Athletics Junior Nationals
A small team of just three athletes has exceeded all expectations at the recent Athletics Junior National Championships for athletes with a disability.
Tristan Lewis-Black and Ben Tirabosco, both competing in their first national championships joined Sian Glanney in her first junior Nationals for the Canberra Meet where a combined effort saw the group of athletes win 6 medals and break 6 national records.
Sian Glanney won the team’s only gold medal in the girl’s long jump with a jump of 4.11m on the way to breaking the U16, U18, U20 and Open records in the process. Sian also picked up a pair of silver medals in the 100m and 200m, missing out on a second gold in the 200m by 0.02 seconds.
Tristan Lewis-Black showed why he has coaches from multiple sports after him, with a really strong run in the boys 400m, breaking the U16 record in the process. His run was only enough to grab himself a silver medal but he also back up that run with a par of silver medals in both the 100m and long jump.
Ben who is a football player by trade and a part of WA’s first ever Paralympic football team set a new T36 U18 national record in the 200m but it was only enough to pick up a 4th place, just outside the medals. Ben was battling muscle tightness but also picked up a 4th place in his 100m.
Congratulations team WA.
Junior Sports Camp
Most camp participants arrived to the accommodation Friday afternoon, eager to leave the hustle and bustle of Perth. As camp members began to arrive, rooms were set out and dinner needed to be prepared. With a couple of willing helpers in Andre, Levi and Tristan, I set out to a cook a mean BBQ, not really, just a stock standard sausage sizzle. After our nutritious meal we had a little bit of time to wind down for the night and socialise. As most people are aware it was a special time recently with the Paralympics – and in Paralympic Spirit a quiz night was organised. With Paralympics and Olympic questions testing the knowledge of participants, the statement ‘you learn something new every day’ was definitely evident. Mark Bannister was a true genius and the Over 20 table came away with the win but everyone left with a smile on their face and shared a few laughs.
It was a bright and early start for members of the camp on Saturday morning – fortunately for some there was air conditioning in their rooms so there wasn’t a high level of discomfort. With a hot breakfast prepared to start the morning it helped ease the stress of dealing with a million flies. Consumption of breakfast was a high priority as Saturday was a jam packed day; 4 sporting activities in Athletics Track and Field, Hand cycling, Swimming and Basketball was sure to test the energy levels of camp members.
At the completion of Saturday’s activities it was a time for everyone to sit back and relax and mingle. There were definitely a couple sore bodies and energy levels were depleted and with the Paralympics being held the next day everyone was looking forward to a good night’s rest.
The following morning Volunteers and Coaches were extremely chuffed to have a speciality coffee awaiting them on Sunday morning and with the daunting task of cooking breakfast for everyone most volunteers and coaches had their hands tied. With much appreciation camp members had cleaning up duties amidst the excitement of the Paralympics.
Teams were divided into Red and Blue with Coaches joining in as they couldn’t resist missing out on all of the fun. The Red Team took an early lead in the Athletics events with the Blue team running a susceptible relay race. As the Field events took place the Blue team was able to peg a couple of results back in their favour. The hand cycling event was extremely competitive and nearly even with the Red team taking the honours – with the Basketball event being the final event of the day all camp members were keen to launch a final assault on the trophy. Unfortunately for the Blue team they couldn’t get the marbles, winning a very close Basketball game, with the help of Jo and Nick, but ultimately the Red team won the inaugural ‘Sports Camp Cup’ for 2012.
This year’s camp was something special, with the launch of an inaugural Sports Camp expectations are already high to better in the following year. On behalf of Wheelchair Sports WA I would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to our amazing volunteers; Joanna Morris, Mark Bannister, Nick Radovich, Mathew Lovelock, Joel Mackenzie, Peter Allen and Paul Smith. A special mention must go to Mandy Grauze who worked extremely hard in making sure all camp members were looked after, and there was no definitely no chance in anyone getting sunburnt.
Once again I would like to say thank you to everyone who came to camp and to the Fairbridge Village staff for looking after us. I look forward to seeing you again next year and bettering this camp.
2012 Christmas Party
This year's Christmas Party will again be hosted by the Osborne Park Showgrounds on Saturday 1st December.
Show rides are available from 9:30-12 with lunch at the Osborne Park Bowls Club from 12pm onwards.
There will also once again be a special visit from Santa so parents if you could bring a small present for Santa to give to your child, presents are to be given to Lindal on the day.
All members are invited to attend with entry, show rides and lunch free, so bring down the family for a great day out.
Contact Lindal Rohde on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to RSVP of for further info.
Senior Wheelies Christmas Party
The Herb Graham Recreation Centre will play host to the Senior Wheelies Christmas lunch for 2012. A hot lunch will be served at 12pm on Saturday the 15th December.
Beer, wine, soft drink, tea and coffee will all be provided but attendees are more than welcome to BYO any other beverages.
Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non-members with payment to be made in advance to the Wheelchair Sports Office at 61 Ashbury Crescent, Mirrabooka
Contact Doug Steele on 0458 269 006 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to RSVP by the 5th December and reserve your spot.
Cycling WA Come-and-Try Day
Cycling WA is once again hosting its cycling for all abilities Come-and-Try Day on Saturday 3rd November 10-1pm.
This year George Burnett Park on Manning Rd in Karrawarra will play host to this family friendly event.
Come along to try different bikes from tandems to handcycles.
WSWA member and Paralympic silver medallist Nigel Barley will be in attendance along with several members of the WSWA State Handcycling Team, so if you've always wanted to try out handcycling come down and learn in a safe and social environment.
WSWA members are able to loan a range of handcycles for free so if you discover your love for handcycling there are opportunities to continue in the future.
For any enquiries please contact Lindal or Joel on 6143 5800 or contact Cycling WA directly on 9328 3422 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Social Lawn Bowls
The social lawn bowls program is restarting this November at Cambridge Bowls Club.
Come down to the Cambridge Bowls Club (corner Howtree Place and Chandler Avenue) to try bowling in a social setting, 5-7pm date TBC.
Last year's bowls had a great response from members so this year we are hoping for even more members to give it a try!
Beginner or seasoned pro everyone is welcome and participation is free for members and $5 for non-members.
Contact Lindal on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register your interest or any further info
2012 Sports Star Awards
The 2012 Annual Wheelchair Sports WA Sports Awards will be held on the 17th November at Pattersons Stadium. The awards will once again be hosted by Ashley Morrison as we recognise the outstanding sporting achievements of our members throughout 2012.
With Coach, Team and Volunteer of the year as well as Breakthrough and Junior Sports Star also up for grabs the night promises to be a great one.
To purchase tickets or organise a table contact Mandy Basson on 6143 5800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
State Comp Wrap
The State Wheelchair Basketball League has wrapped up for another year with a big day of Grand finals including the wheelchair Rugby Grand Final.
In the basketball however it was the Mighty Purple Dragons who took the B Grade Championship after a drought that goes back to 2008 since they last won the league. Tyler Hutchinson proved the difference picking up the Grand final MVP to go along with his runner up MVP of the league.
Lwal Amoly from runners up Sonny and Chair, cleaned up the individual awards with the MVP and Leading Point Scoring trophies going home with him.
Stevie Shaw from the Juniors picked up Runner up Leading Point Scorer and James Howard was awarded the most improved player of the league.
Lucky to even be in the Grand Final, The Magpies picked up the win over BOHICA in a tough contest. BOHICA and Magpies were the two standout teams all year and so it was only fitting that they be left to battle it out for the Championship.
Brant Garvey cleaned up both the MVP and Leading Point Scoring trophies; Nick Radovich was awarded the Runner up point scoring trophy while Hayden Clark from BOHICA won the Runner up MVP award.
Jo Morris was awarded A Grade’s Rookie of the Year award.
With the season now finished we are looking to run a 3-on-3 competition down in Mandurah in the coming months so keep your eyes out for that.
Summer Cup starts back in February so thankyou to everyone that participated this year and we look forward to a bigger and better 2013.
Comedy Night 2012
The second annual Wheelchair Sports WA Comedy Night was held on Thursday 20th September at the Charles St Hotel Comedy Lounge. With over 30 attendees the night was even bigger than last year’s event and is now a regular event on the social calendar. WSWA staff and members were treated to entertainment from Ben Darsow, Drew Seabourne, Xavier Michelides and headliner Johnny Katts. Whilst all acts brought their own style of comedy to the stage, they all provided many laughs for the audience.
We would like to thank the Comedy Lounge for their ongoing support and if you missed out this year be sure to get in early and reserve your spot for April’s Comedy Night.
Rollers Add Silver to Trophy Cabinet
The Australian Rollers London 2012 campaign has ended in Silver after the defending champions were defeated 58-64 by arch nemesis Canada.
Unfortunately, the Rollers had no answer for wheelchair basketball legend Patrick Anderson, who proved to be the difference between the two sides. Long considered to be on of the omnipotent forces of wheelchair basketball, Anderson put in a performance of the ages with 30 points, 8 assists and 10 rebounds.
After Australia secured a 1 point lead going into the major break Wheelchair Sports WA quartet Justin Eveson (16 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds), Shaun Norris (12 points, 4 assists, 6 rebounds), Brad Ness (12 points, 6 rebounds) and Michael Hartnett fought valiantly to keep Australia within touching distance.
However Canada’s suffocating defense in combination with Anderson’s potency on the offensive end, made it mission impossible for the Rollers.
Wheelchair Sports WA feels incredibly proud to have been associated with our four representatives over the course of their basketball careers.
In what is perhaps their finest achievement, between them they have redefined professionalism for athletes with a disability in Western Australia. They have helped to establish a culture that will mean that WA has many more players representing Australia at wheelchair basketball in years too come.
Congratulations to the Rollers on their silver medal and we have no doubt they will be back atop the podium in four years time.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
-Chris Barty
Gliders Campaign Ends in Silver
The Australian Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team, The Gliders, have won a silver medal at the London 2012 Paralympics after going down to Germany 58-44 in the final.
After the Gliders bolted out of the blocks with a 10-4 run to start the game, the highly fancied Germans scored the next 10 points, going into quarter time with a 4 point lead. From there the Gliders had to play catch up basketball and despite their best efforts were not able to regain the ascendency.
Western Stars captain and Gliders veteran Clare Nott showed again why she is one of the finest players in her classification in the world. Nott proved to be a scoring threat with six points and lead the way in intangibles for the Gliders as she has done all tournament. After winning Bronze in Beijing, Nott can now say she is a Dual Paralympic medalist.
Describe by many as the ‘find’ of the tournament, Amber Merritt had a difficult time containing the German talls, in particular Marieke Adermann who finished with a game high 19 points.
Merritt could not be faulted for effort and there is no doubt that this morning’s game will spur her on to fulfill her potential and become the dominant force in the women’s game.
In her first Paralympics Sarah Vinci continued to gain big game experience, playing a total of 10 minutes and scoring 2 points. The 20 year-old is expected to play a major role in the Gliders quest for gold at Rio in 2016.
Congratulations to all of our Gliders on playing a wonderful tournament and winning a Paralympic silver medal.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
- Chris Barty
Gliders Beat USA in Semi-Final Thriller
A defensive masterpiece has seen the Australian Gliders prevail over defending Paralympic champions the United States 40-39 in one of the most exciting games of women's wheelchair basketball ever played.
After going into halftime tied at 26-26, the Gliders came out of the tunnel with a killer intensity. The Gliders held USA scoreless for nine minutes in an incredible defensive display.
Leading 38-28 going into the final stanza Australia looked certainties to book a place in the gold medal game. However the United States never gave up drawing to within one point before WA's Clare Nott scored the Gliders only basket of the final term to give the Gliders a 3 point advantage.
Fast forward to the last play of the game and Team USA had a chance to win the game with a layup. But with 1.3 seconds remaining on the clock, tremendous defensive pressure from WA's breakout star Amber Merritt denied the USA a chance to defend their Paralympic title.
26-year-old Nott played the game of her career. Nott scored 8 points shooting 80% from the field in addition to 4 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Nott's statisticas are all the more impressive given her classification, as a 1.0 point player she is often more recognised for "intangiables". Australia needed a hero and today she was it.
Merritt made a key contribution in the first half scoring 8 points to keep Australia in touch with a fast starting US but it was her defensive presence that proved most valuable as the game wore on.
Sarah Vinci saw limited court time, but in her debut Paralympics will be playing off for gold. We couldn't be more proud of the girls and wish them the best of luck in the final against Germany.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
-Chris Barty
Nigel Barley: Officially the Second Fastest Man in the World
It has been a long time coming but Nigel Barley’s long awaited debut at the Paralympic Games has been well worth the wait.
Nigel has a lot of fans around the country that having been hoping for many years, that his form and speeds at a National Level could be replicated at major international events.
In 2011 Nigel took silver in a World Cup Time Trial event in Sydney and backed that up with a bronze the day after signaling he was ready to make an impact at International level. Later that year he raced throughout Europe, consistently finishing in the top six riders in world class fields, just unable to get amongst the medals.
Earlier this year, Nigel went on to win his 8th straight National Championship before again taking off to ride in the European Handcycling Circuit. With another full year’s training under his belt and with his sights firmly set on the London Paralympic Games, Nigel took the next step in his cycling which culminated in winning the World Cup Event in Spain against a field of riders he would be competing against in London.
Full of confidence and with the whole world watching, Nigel rode one of the races of his life to claim the Paralympic silver medal for the Men’s H3 Time Trial at the London Games in a time of 26:18.
Long been called the fastest man in Australia, Nigel has officially now claimed the title of the second fastest man in the world.
Nigel is back in action tomorrow night (Friday 7th) at 9:00pm (WST) where he will compete in the H3 Road Race. He is as good a chance as anyone to medal again with the top six riders in the world expected to finish within just seconds of each other.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
USA Double Awaits as Rollers Cruise Past Poland
Australia’s men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams with both face Team USA in their respective semi finals at the London Paralympics after the Rollers accounted for Poland 76-53 this morning.
WA Wheelchair Basketball legend and Rollers skipper Brad Ness had an outstanding match. The 37 year-old had his best game of the Paralympics so far and in the process proved that he is still a dominant force top scoring for Australia with 26 points. Ness also contributed 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Justin Eveson (13 points 6 assists) and Shaun Norris (11 points, 4 rebounds) continued to show why they are pivotal to the Australians quest for back-to-back Paralympic titles. Eveson was deadly from long range, score a trio of three pointers, emphasizing that he is one of the biggest offensive threats in wheelchair basketball today.
Low point player Michael Hartnett, made the most of his time on court using his superior chair skills to wreak havoc on the Polish set up. Hartnett also contributed a basket meaning that once again all WA players got on the scoreboard.
After conceding a fast start to the Aussies, Poland drew to within 10 points on several occasions thanks to their star Filipski. The Polish forward who plays professionally for Galatasary SC (formerly of Lucas Neill and Harry Kewell) played a lone hand for Poland registering 26 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists.
However the depth of the Australians proved to be too much as they would outscore Poland 16-7 in the last quarter.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
- Chris Barty
Gliders Enjoy Mexican Feast
Celebrating the birthday of their longtime servant, Shelly Chaplin, the Australian Gliders have progressed through to the semi-finals with a convincing win 62-37 win over Mexico.
Wheelchair Sports WA athlete, Amber Merritt was once again the focal point in offence for the Gliders. The emerging star scored 14 points, shooting the ball at a highly efficient 70% from the field.
After skipping away to a 44-20 lead at halftime, Perth based Head Coach John Triscari was afforded the luxury of being able to give all of his players valuable playing time.
Western Stars captain Clare Nott, was a beneficiary of the of the rotation policy only playing 8 minutes after playing every minute of the Paralympics so far. It is expected that she will feature strongly in the remainder of the tournament.
The Gliders now have a rest day before taking on the United States in Thursday’s Semi-final at 8:00pm (WST).
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
- Chris Barty
Your Board: Managing the Association’s Accounts and Investments
The Board’s Finance Sub-Committee recently met to review the 2012 annual accounts and to assess investment policies for the year ahead. We prefer discussions of theAssociations’ finances to be predictable and uneventful and this meeting did not disappoint us!
Our auditor, John O’Brien from Optima Partners, gave the accounts a clean bill of health. The efforts of the administration staff are greatly appreciated in reaching this positive outcome of financial predictability and good governance.
Our investment of time, money and volunteer hours in our sports, recreation and social programs is always a key highlight and top of mind when reviewing the financial position. Whilst supporting the investment in our programs, it was pleasing to achieve an annual surplus driven by fundraising from our phone room raffle sales and strongly supported by income generation from grants, sponsorships, other donations and corporate support. We continue to seek diversification in our income streams and to maintain our asset base as telemarketing income is difficult to maintain in a challenging economic environment.
From an investment perspective, we reiterated our commitment to a long term, conservative approach to managing the Association’s surplus funds. That is, we have a blend of term deposits, a broadly balanced share portfolio that we are adding to on a consistent monthly basis, plus the core property asset of our Osborne Park premises. With the move of the administration staff to Herb Graham, we will look to lease the Osborne Park premises to provide a stable rental income.
Simon Terry
Finance Sub-Committee Chairman
Brad Scott Adds to Medal Tally
Brad Scott has added to his medal tally in London by collecting a silver medal in the Men’s T37 1500m behind the Irish superstar Michael Mckillop.
There was daylight between the chase pack and the breakaway pairing of Scott and Mckillop as the breakaway pair set the early pace. After hitting the 600m mark, Mckillop seemed to find an extra gear and from then on, it was a race for second place.
Mckillop never looked troubled as seemed to run his own race while Scott recognised he wasn’t going to catch the Irishman and dropped back to the main pack to conserve his energy. Scott controlled the pace of the chase pack before finding an extra gear himself with 200m to go as he cruised home for silver.
Scott had already won a bronze medal two days prior in the Men’s T37 800m which takes his career Paralympic Medal tally to three (2 silver, 1 bronze) from two Paralympic Games campaigns.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
Brad Scott: WA's First Medallist of the London Paralympic Games
Bunbury boy Brad Scott has claimed the mantle as the first West Australian to medal at the London Paralympic Games after his bronze medal run over the weekend. It came in the Men’s T37 800m, the same event he won silver in at the Beijing Games.
The winner, Michael Mckillop from Ireland ran the race in a World Record time of 1:57.22, Brad running third less than half a second behind silver medallist Mohammed Charmi from Turkey in a time just a shade over 2:02.
Brad is back in action at 3:47am Perth time where he will against race Ireland’s Mckillop in the 1500m. Mckillop owns the current world record in this event, but earlier this year, Brad ran an ‘unofficial’ time in a qualifying event that would have bettered Mckillop’s previous mark by just over a second.
Elsewhere on the track, Madison de Rozario ran fifth in the final of the Women’s T53 100m. The 100m is the least favorite of Madi’s four events and will be back in action on Wednesday for her pet event, the 800m. Team mate Angie Ballard finished strong, powering home to claim Bronze in the 100m of in the same event.
And a WSWA favorite, Damien Bowen competed in the Men’s F34 javelin over the weekend. Damien’s current world ranking leading into the games had him placed 3rd in the world so expectations would have been high leading into the event. Damo threw well and claimed 6th place in the event, a career best finish at a Paralympic Games. Damo is also back in action tonight in the Shotput which commences around 3:00am Perth time.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
Team USA No Match for the Honeybadgers
Through its quartet of stars, Western Australia has again had a profound impact on the Wheelchair Basketball competition at the London 2012 Paralympics as Australia romped home to defeat Team USA 65-49.
Wheelchair Sports WA athletes, Justin Eveson, Shaun Norris, Michael Hartnett and Australian skipper Brad Ness all made sizable contributions as the Rollers did what no able-bodied basketball team has been able to do in some time. Defeat the Americans at their own game.
In his 150th appearance for Australia, Norris was instrumental. Affectionately known as ‘The Wizard’ by local fans, Norris top-scored for Australia with 16 points, shooting 6/11 from the field.
The first half was a mostly defensive affair, with neither team able to gain a sizable advantage. Australia’s tenacious defense limited USA to just 29% from the field, although it was hardly fairing much better at an unflattering 33%.
Enter Justin Eveson. The power forward came out of the half-time break on a mission.
Eveson, widely regarded as the world’s most dominant player the big fella proved to be the difference as Team USA lacked the size and agility to go with him. He ended up falling just short of a triple-double. Raking in a monstrous 16 rebounds to go with 15 points, 9 assists and 2 blocked shots, in what was arguably his finest performance at these Paralympics to date.
Perhaps the Rollers most popular player, Ness was in no mood to disappoint the fans, adding 13 points to the tally, whilst Michael Hartnett sank a basket in the third quarter to ensure that the entire WA contingent would end up on the scoreboard.
The Rollers next game will come at 10.45 Monday Night against Italy. To watch the game live, visit: http://smart.paralympic.org/player/Main.html
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
- Chris Barty
Merritt Shines Again as Gliders Outlast Netherlands
A monstrous performance in the second half from rising wheelchair basketball star Amber Merritt has seen the Australian Gliders inflict the Netherlands with a 58-49 defeat and advance to the knockout phase of the competition in the process.
Merritt, who was barely sighted in the first half, came out all guns blazing in third quarter. After Australia set up a sound 10 point advantage at half-time Merritt would score 17 of her 19 points in the next 20 minutes, making any hopes of a Dutch comeback impossible.
Touted as the ‘find’ of the games, Merritt has now scored 61 points in her first four appearances at a Paralympics. Not bad considering she is only 19.
However, Merritt was not the only Western Australian to have an impact on the outcome of the game.
Veteran 1.0 point player Clare Nott, showed why she is one of the most highly rated players in her position recording 7 points of her own and a blocked shot. She also he set up several scoring opportunities for her teammates.
20 year-old Paralympic debutant Sarah Vinci, made it a perfect day for Wheelchair Sports WA athletes at the basketball, by hitting a jump shot early in the last quarter.
With no teams left undefeated in Group A the race for a medal is wide open, with Australia, USA, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands all a chance to take home the ultimate prize.
Australia now moves into the qualifying stage with the match time TBA.
To watch that game and a replay of this morning’s action visit: http://smart.paralympic.org/player/Main.html
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
- Chris Barty
Gliders Give GB a Royal Lesson
A defensive master class has seen the Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team, the Gliders, register an impressive 51 - 24 victory over Great Britain at the London Paralympics overnight.
In front of a rampant London crowd, Western Australian pairing Amber Merritt and Clare Nott continued their strong start to the tournament, further establishing themselves as one of the best Guard/Forward combinations in wheelchair basketball today.
Coming of an impressive debut against Brazil, Merritt led all scorers with 10 points to go with 6 rebounds, 3 steals and block. Nott showed why she is considered one of the best 1.0 point players in the world, chipping in with 6 points and two steals.
In a special moment for wheelchair hoops fans in Western Australia, Paralympic debutant Sarah Vinci was rewarded for her hard work when she scored her first points in Paralympic competition.
Despite putting a stranglehold on the British offence, Australia was unable to fully capitalize on its advantage. That was until Australia held Team GB to just 3 points in the third quarter, setting up a 25-point advantage.
With the result assured, Gliders Head Coach John Triscari used the fourth quarter to give valuable playing time to his bench players which he did to great effect with 11 players managing to get on the score sheet.
The Gliders now look forward to their next match against a highly rated Canadian outfit on Sunday at 1.30am Western Standard Time.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
- Chris Barty
Rollers Defeat Turkey in a Classic
The Australian Rollers have defeated a gallant Turkish team, 71 – 64 in one of the best games of wheelchair basketball ever seen at a Paralympic games.
Wheelchair Sports WA athletes Justin Eveson (17 points, 9 rebounds), Shaun Norris (17 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists), Brad Ness (11 rebounds) and Michael Hartnett (second exhibition of excellent lowpoint play in two days) all playing crucial roles in the win.
Largely unknown to Australian audiences, the Turks, who have risen to prominence over the past five years pushed their defending champions to their absolute limit.
They came out firing, shooting an incredible 61% from the field with only a superior free throw percentage and offensive rebound count allowing the Australians to take a 4 point advantage into half time.
With his biggest star in foul trouble in the third quarter, coach Ben Ettridge was forced to run several different combinations to keep the opposition at bay. However they all had one common feature, 1.0 point player Michael Hartnett.
Although not registering huge numbers, Hartnett’s chair skills and technical ability was superb and his endeavor typified the Australian spirit. He was constantly getting knocked over, only to get up and contest the next play with vigor.
Shaun Norris then showed why people call him the Wizard, when he pulled off the most spectacular play seen at the Paralympics thus far. Catching the ball off balance, Norris executed a 360 degree turn, absorbed contact and somehow managed to make the layup. Its sure to be a Youtube hit.
Just as the Rollers looked to be pulling away the Turks forced a series of turnovers that resulted in transition baskets.
Enter Justin Eveson. The big fella had a quiet game by his own galactic standards but late free throws and a lay up under pressure helped put the result beyond doubt.
The Rollers now turn their attention to European powerhouse Spain. Tip off is at 3.45am on Sunday morning.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
- Chris Barty
Merritt the Hero as Gliders Notch First Win
In a massive first up performance, Wheelchair Sports WA athlete, Amber Merritt proved to be the hero Australia needed as the Gliders notched up a win against Brazil in their opening match of the London 2012 Paralympics.
In a match that saw Western Australians, Clare Nott, Sarah Vinci and Merritt open their accounts, the Gliders were tested in the 52-50 win over Brazil, but were ultimately too strong.
With the scores locked at 48-48 with only minutes remaining, the one they call ‘Bambi’ was anything but timid scoring the next four points of the game to give Australia an unassailable lead.
Merritt would finish with 16 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 8 from 11 in a stunning first up Paralympic performance.
Fellow Wheelchair Sports WA athlete Clare Nott was also instrumental in setting up the win. Playing much of the match in the point guard position, Nott finished with 6 points, 3 assists and 4 rebounds.
Relatively unknown to fans in Australia, Brazil showed that they were not to be taken lightly holding the Gliders to 25 -25 at half time.
Applying a defensive pressure that would make Ross Lyon proud, Brazil forced the Aussies to commit a number of turnovers and punished them in transition.
For the Brazilians, Soares Martins was looking unstoppable with 18 points in the first half.
However the Gliders turned up the pressure in the second half, limiting Soares Martins opportunities and showing why they are one of the medal fancies at this Paralympics.
Next Event: The Gliders next match is against Great Britain at 8.00pm Australian Western Standard Time.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
- Chris Barty
Kat Porter 7th in 100m Backstroke Final
Returning to defend her 100m Backstroke gold medal form the Beijing Paralympic Games, Katrina ‘Kat’ Porter had the unenviable task of competing in her pet event on day one of competition.
Qualifying in a time of 1:27.80, about three seconds slower than the Paralympic and World Record she set four years earlier, it was enough to qualify her for the final in sixth fastest and a shot at defending her Paralympic crown.
Swimming from lane seven, Kat started slow and finished strong in a time of 1:26.64 and in seventh place. Team mate Jacqueline Freney won the race in a time of 1:22.84 to claim Australia’s first gold medal for these games.
While it wasn’t the result Kat was looking for, she was excited to see the next generation of swimmers coming through and swimming well.
“It wasn’t the result I was after, but still so happy to make the final and be here to represent Australia” said Kat following her race.
Next Event: Katrina’s next event is the 200m IM which takes place on Sunday afternoon, approximately 4:39pm Perth time.
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
WA Rollers Dominant in First Win
After winning gold in Beijing 2008, the Australian Rollers have begun their title defense in a with a commanding victory 93 - 39 over South Aftrica.
Wheelchair Sports WA athletes Shaun Norris, Justin Eveson, Brad Ness and Michael Hartnett were at the forefront of the action as the Rollers announced their intentions to the world.
Eveson led all scorers with 21 points and added 5 assists and 7 rebounds. Not to be outdone, Norris, who is regarded as one of the finest chair technicians in the world, added 17 points and 6 assists.
Captain and spiritual leader Brad Ness chipped in with 9 points and low-point player Michael Hartnett showed why he is one of the best in his position by setting up a number of scoring opportunities.
The Rollers got off to a fast start, going on an 18-9 run to open proceedings. Not to be outdone, the South Africans matched the Australians pace for the rest of the quarter, leaving scores on 27-16 at the end of the first stanza.
From that point on however it was all Australia. The Rollers offensive prowess, which was highlighted by a series of spectacular plays by Eveson in the third quarter, and their defensive intensity proved to be far too much for the Africans.
The Rollers next play Turkey on Saturday morning at 3.30am
Next Event: The Rollers next play Turkey on Saturday morning at 3.30am
For live streaming action check out:
www.abc.net.au/news/sport/paralympics/stream
www.paralympic.org (Smart Player)
- Chris Barty
It Begins: London 2012 Paralympic Games
After a lifetime of preparation for some athletes, the London 2012 Paralympic Games are finally upon us. 14 Wheelchair Sports WA members will compete at the games across five different sports and we will be doing our very best to keep you up to date with all of the results as they happen.
A full list of the dates and times our very own Wheelchair Sports WA athletes will be competing are shown able to be viewed in the PDF documents below.
Wheelchair Sports WA Athletes, Week 1
Wheelchair Sports WA Athletes, Week 2
ABC is the broadcaster of these Games and all of the times for the athletes, are Perth local time, however if you want to watch them compete LIVE you will need to go to the ABC website www.abc.net.au where they will be streaming events LIVE. Alternatively the coverage on ABC TV will be delayed by 2 hours.
Alternatively, the International Paralympic Committee website will be streaming events at: http://www.paralympic.org/
The times for the TV coverage are now:
- Opening Ceremony on ABC1: Thursday 30th August 5:20am (WST)
- Daily Highlights Show on ABC1: 30th August to 10th September, 6:00pm - 7:00pm (WST)
- Coverage on ABC1: 30th August - 10th September, 4:00am - 8:30am (WST)
- Coverage on ABC2: 30th August - 10th September, 7:00pm - 11:00pm (WST)
- Closing Ceremony on ABC1: Monday 10th September, 5:20am (WST)
Chevron City to Surf 2012
A total of 45,046 people registered for WA’s biggest community sporting event ‘The Activ City to Surf’ and we were proud to support 32 of our own Wheelchair Sport WA members. It was perfect conditions for the participants on the day and there is nothing better than supporting a great cause and spending quality time with enjoyable company.
Kim Robins took out the 4km Wheelchair race in just under 18 minutes and followed closely behind him was Robin Lambird – rumour has it that Kim may have jumped to gun to get an early head start.
Personally it was my first official ‘Wheelchair Sports WA’ event and I feel extremely privileged to a part of such a respected organisation. Fortunately I was able to meet a number of people at the event and I look forward to meeting a lot more. I’m extremely passionate about enhancing people’s lives so please feel free to contact me if you have any feedback regarding the past event or would like to have a chat.
Greg Hire (Sports Development Officer)- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
International Honour for Sauvage and Ponta
Wheelchair Sports WA is proud two of its members will be inducted into the IPC Visa Hall of Fame: nine time Paralympic gold medallist Louise Sauvage and wheelchair sports legend, and Sauvage's first coach, Frank Ponta.
Ahead of this morning's Opening Ceremony in London, the International Paralympic Committee announced Sauvage and Ponta would be among five former Paralympians added to the Hall of Fame.
Sauvage, who retired from wheelchair racing following the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, remains the fourth most successful international female track athlete of all time, winning 13 Paralympic medals in total and is the second most-decorated Paralympian in Australia.
Her overnight inclusion in the IPC Hall of Fame is the highlight in a string of accolades for the Paralympic track legend. Sauvage was the first woman to be inducted into the Australian Paralympic Committee’s Hall of Fame at its inauguration in 2011. She was also the first athlete with a disability added to the Australian Sport Hall of Fame.
Legendary Paralympian, Frank Ponta, who passed away last year, represented Australia at the Paralympics between 1960-1976, competing in several different sports from swimming, wheelchair basketball to pentathlon and wheelchair fencing.
Upon retirement, Ponta made the switch to coaching, producing the next generation of Paralympic superstars including Sauvage and swimmer Priya Cooper. He also launched the career of rising wheelchair track racer, Madison de Rozario, who will compete in London.
Ponta was the driving force behind junior wheelchair sports in Western Australia and along with Sauvage was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Paralympic Committee’s Hall of Fame in 2011.
Wheelchair Sports WA CEO Gary Lees applauded the induction of both Ponta and Sauvage to the Hall of Fame.
"Both Louise and Frank have both been pivotal to the growth of wheelchair sports in WA," says Mr Lees.
He says it's a credit to the long standing history and tradition of disability sport in Western Australia.
“Frank (Ponta) was pioneer, an incredible athlete in his day but his greatest contribution came in the way of his coaching and passion for our junior members."
"And now Louise is continuing his legacy, coaching Madison de Rozario, another athlete from Perth and one of our prime medal hopes in London."
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that the Paralympic movement in Australia started right here in Perth in 1954.”
Be Active Wheelcats Get Active in Moora
Be Active Perth Wheelcats players Nick Radovich and Adam Deans this week ventured to the Wheatbelt town of Moora to bring wheelchair basketball and promote the Be Active message to schools in the region.
St Joseph’s Primary School, Moora Primary School and Central Midlands Senior High School students and a number of community groups all got to experience wheelchair basketball firsthand. The boys shared their own experiences then took the kids through basic skills before having a game.
Nick and Adam also visited New Norcia as part of the celebrations for the Great Bike Hike from Perth to Broome where Paralympian Nigel Barley will join the crew for the last leg after his London campaign. The celebrations were a fantastic way of promoting the Be Active message and gave the whole community an insight into disability and wheelchair sports.
For further information on the WheeLife clinics contact Lindal on 9440 4245 or
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
School Sport Championships
Following the 2012 School Sport Championships, the mother of one of our up and coming swimmers Ben Popham has written to Wheelchair Sports about how the week went and about Ben’s results:
52 swimmers, 2 divers, 9 staff and a few extra parents travelled from WA for the 8 day trip, meaning all the children got the opportunity to learn about being part of a team and supporting their teammates.
Children were split down into groups of 4 for their accommodation units, with further opportunities to get to know the rest of the team, and to learn a little independence with regard to meals (we weren’t eating out all the time!), getting up on time in the morning, and general organization and tidying up.
At the pool, Ben worked very hard and swam in 11 events. He won:
Silver in the Boys 10-12 50m Freestyle MC event.
Bronze in the Boys 10-12 200m Freestyle MC event.
Bronze in the Mixed 10-12 200 Freestyle Relay MC event
He was also a whisker of the Bronze in the Boys 10-12 100m Freestyle MC event, missing it by 0.015%!
All bar one of his times were PB’s, some of them quite substantively so.
However, whatever medals were won or times that were swum, one of the most important parts of the event was the learning experiences which were everywhere. To get the opportunity to learn the ropes of national competitions in such an environment has been extremely valuable to Ben as he grows up and moves through the levels of swimming. I’m sure this will continue to be the case in the future as well.
Thank you for the financial support provided by Wheelchair Sports.
- Jennifer Popham
Also on the trip was School Sport WA’s team captain Megan Saggers who picked up a gold medal, which if my sources are correct was team WA’s only individual gold medal for the meet. Stephanie Neville was also in the team and competed in the MC events. Stephanie is more used to playing Paralympic football so it was great to see her qualify and race as a part of the School Sport WA swim team.
The Enforcers are Back
Wheelchair Rugby is back in Western Australia with the return of the mighty West Coast Enforcers. Aaron Camm, Nick Peter Scott Joyce and Zeb Gibson have been working hard for the last 18 months to put themselves into a position where they have had the opportunity to take the Enforcers back into the National Wheelchair Rugby League.
Some changes in the league in 2012 has meant a focus on development. Aaron, Nick and Zeb competed earlier this year as a part of the development series and that has led to a standalone National Championships this past weekend.
The boys combined with some NSW players including New Zealand international Curtis Palmer who would act as player/coach for the weekend.
Having never played as a team before, no one knew what to expect from the boys and I don’t think anyone could have predicted they would have been playing off for bronze and almost pinching it from a star studded Victorian team.
The Gold Coast Jetstar Titans were the team to beat all weekend and the Enforcers drew them in game one going down 60-32. Later that same day the boys went down to the Victorian Coldplast Thunder but there were signs that the team was improving, going down 46-55.
One day two of competition, despite trailing for the majority of the match, a massive second half effort saw the boys turn a 6 point deficit into a 4 point win against NSW. The boys went on to lose to South Australia that same day, but the damage had been done and they’d qualified for the Bronze medal playoff game where they would face Victoria again.
The boys were gallant and took it to Victoria all game. The final score was identical to their pool game (46-55) but the Enforcers were never really out of it.
We are extremely proud of the way these four boys have represented themselves at Wheelchair Sports WA over the past 18 months. All the hard work was justified last weekend and with a regular quality State competition every Thursday night, it wont be long before we start to see some more success from the Enforcers boys.
Thank you very much to Fabian Warney also who volunteered himself for the weekend as mechanic, manager and everything else in between.
WA Paralympians 2012
Our WA Paralympians have been officially farewelled at a media event at the WA State Basketball Centre. 17 West Australians have been included in different Paralympic teams with 14 of those coming from Wheelchair Sports WA.
The 14 athletes selected from Wheelchair Sports WA are across five different sports and is the most representation we have ever had at a Paralympic Games.
Schedules and viewing times will be circulated to all WSWA members so that we can tune in and cheer on our athletes from the comfort of our couches during the early hours of the morning.
Below is a list of the athletes from WSWA that have been selected:
Justin Eveson, Brad Ness, Shaun Norris and Michal Hartnett: The four boys are all a part of the Rollers team that won gold in Beijing and will be looking to defend their title in London. Teams from around the world have clearly identified Australia as the team to beat in the men’s wheelchair basketball competition and they will have to be at their best every single day if they are going to stay on top of the wheelchair basketball world.
Clare Nott, Amber Merritt and Sarah Vinci: The three girls are a part of the Gliders with Amber and Sarah both making their Paralympic debut, while Clare returned from Beijing with a bronze medal with the Gliders. Recent performances against wheelchair basketball powerhouses Germany would suggest that improving on their 2008 bronze medal performance is not out of the question and they are as good a chance as any to return home with gold.
Madison de Rozario, Damien Bowen, Brad Scott and Sam Harding: This quartet is a part of the Australian Athletics team. Competing across a number of different disciplines, Sam Harding is the only one making his first Paralympic appearance. Brad Scott and Madison de Rozario both returned from Beijing with silver medals while Damien is in search of his first Paralympic medal. All four are genuine medal chances.
Darren Gardiner: The Bear, as he is more commonly known as, has a pair of Paralympic silver medals to his names from the Athens and Beijing Games. In what he has called his last Paralympic Games, the Bear will be looking to add a gold medal to his collection after coming so close in 2004 and 2008. His recent form is strong with him comfortably taking out the Australian National Championships with a lift of 228kgs. People in attendance said he did it easily and look for Darren to lift even heavier in London.
Nigel Barley: Nigel makes his Paralympic after coming so close in previous years. Nigel is a perennial National Handcycling Champion and has long been called the fastest man in Australia. How will this translate at a Paralympic Games? At the World Cup last month Nigel twice beat current World Champion Joel Jennott and is considered one of the top cyclists in the world. Cycling is a funny game though and anything can happen on the day but despite that, Nigel would have to be considered a genuine medal chance in London.
Katrina Porter: Katrina returns to the Paralympics after her dream was realised in Beijing, coming home with a world record and a gold medal in the 100m Backstroke. Katrina would have to still be considered a genuine medal chance again in London. She has already hinted at retirement from swimming post games and what a way it would be for her to go out by bringing home a swag of medals from London.
Scuba Diving 2012
Following the success of the 2011 Scuba Diving session with Chris Holman and his team of instructors, WSWA was back in the water this past weekend.
For anyone that didn’t get a chance, make sure in 2013 you put your name down early as it really is the experience of a lifetime. The team of diving instructors spend time with each participant one on one and really make sure that everyone is safe at all times.
Following brief safety and instructional briefing, participants are straight into the water and for some, it was tough to get them out.
Once underwater and you are comfortable with your breathing, you are free to swim and explore with underwater torpedoes and underwater scooter making the rounds across the bottom of the diving pool.
The experience is one that I could not recommend highly enough. At no point did I not feel safe underwater and once you do come to terms with where you are and get used to breathing it really is just a fantastic experience. Check out this year’s group of divers by clicking the link below:
Megan Saggers: School Sport WA Team Captain
2012 has been a year for first for Wheelchair Sports WA and swimmer Megan Saggers has added another one to the list. Megan has recently been named team captain for the School Sport WA Swim Team that is travelling to Sydney to compete at the end of this month. This is the first time a multi-class swimmer has ever been named as captain of a School Sport Team in WA.
Megan’s recent form in the pool has her poised to bring home medals from the Meet with recent performances in the State Short Course Swimming Championships netting her 4 medals, including one gold, one silver and two bronze.
Megan will be joined in Sydney by another young developing swimmer in Ben Popham who just gets faster and faster every time he dives into the pool. Best of luck to Ben and Megan.
Perfect Preparation for Rollers and Gliders
The Rollers and Gliders have had continued their flawless preparation for the Paralympics by both winning the recent Rollers and Gliders World Challenge in Sydney.
The Rollers took on rivals Great Britain and Japan in a three team series, cruising through the pool games undefeated and again beating the Great Britain team in the final.
The Rollers will be defending their Paralympic crown and identified Great Britain as one of their main threats in London. The consecutive wins will no doubt build confidence amongst the groups which sees three changes from the 2008 team.
The Gliders took on arguably the best team in women’s wheelchair basketball, Germany along with Japan and China for a four team series. The Gliders also went through their pool games undefeated and fronted Germany in the final. In a hotly contested clash it was the Gliders who took home the gold medal having now beaten the German team three of the last four times they have played each other.
One of the standouts of the tournament was our very own Amber Merritt. Amber has been selected in her first Paralympic team at 19 years of age and was named tournament MVP, grand final MVP and picked up a place in the All Star Five. Amber was joined in the All Star Five by fellow Be Active Western Star, Clare Nott.
The girls will take a lot of confidence from their series and performances against the Germans and in an event that is going to be one of the most competitive at the games, recent performances would suggest that the Gliders are as good a chance as anyone to come away with a Paralympic gold medal.
Ben and Nang into PPP Squad
The 2012 Powerlifting National Championships were recently held in Brisbane on the 14th July. The event saw three athletes from WA making the trip to compete with Nang Nguyen and Ben Wright both making their debut at a National Championships after bother recently switching over from basketball and ‘The Bear’ Darren Gardiner in his last hit out before the London Paralympics.
Nang Nguyen’s first attempt was a 95kg lift, which if successful would see Nang qualify to be made part of the Paralympic Preparation Program (PPP) and beat his current competition best by a massive 20kg. The bar was loaded and Nang lifted the weight with absolute ease, and was given the green light and his first successful lift. Nang had made the PPP squad, his goal for the competition. Nang’s second lift was 100kg, more than twice his body weight which he again did with ease. The bar was then loaded for Nang’s third attempt at 107kg which he did with relative ease, showing he still had some energy left in the tank. Following Nang’s third attempt, he was given the opportunity for a fourth and final lift and an attempt at a WA State Record for the 52kg class of a whopping 110kg. Nang successfully got the weight off his chest, but ¾ of the way up the weight proved too much and Nang was unable to successfully ‘lock out’ making the lift unsuccessful.
Ben Wright’s first lift was an attempt at 113kg which, if successful would see him lifting over 20kg more than his previous competition best of 92.5kg. Ben took care of his first lift with ease setting him in good stead for his following lifts. The bar was then loaded up to 120kg for lift number two and while attempting to unrack the weight, the bar slipped from Ben’s hands and out of the rack. If not for the Spiderman like reflexes of the spotters, Ben could have been seriously injured. With the bar safely back on the rack and time still on the clock, Ben recomposed himself and successfully lifted the weight. With two successful lifts Ben had a chance at lifting 125kg, a lift that if successful would see him make the PPP squad. After lifting the weight off the rack and pressing the weight with no worries, Ben’s lift was deemed unsuccessful after no pausing for long enough on his chest. Competition officials gave Ben a fourth lift to attempt to set the WA State Record for the 90kg class at 125kg. With his previous attempt in mind, Ben made sure he would not make the same mistake twice. He lifted the weight off the rack, making sure to pause it on his chest for an extended amount of time so as to not be caught out again, and pressed the weight successfully locking out. The lift was judged successful, awarding Ben a state record and a spot on the PPP squad.
Darren’s first lift attempt was 212kg showing why Bear is not only the strongest lifter in the country but a definite medal contender at this year’s Paralympic Games. Bear lifted the weight with what looked like complete ease setting him up for his second lift of 218kg. Once again Bear lifted the weight with no troubles, putting on a great show for all there to witness it. Bear’s third and final attempt was an absolutely massive 224kg. The bar was loaded and Bear let out his trademark growl which earned him the nickname. Bear managed to lift the huge weight successfully, seeing him lift the largest weight of the whole competition, a lift that would see Bear taking out first place for the competition and showing that he is definitely on track to try and better his previous Paralympic efforts and hopefully come home from London with a gold medal.
The final standings for the Competition saw 3rd place taken out by Cameron Whittington from NSW, 2nd Place went the Abebe Fekadu from QLD and 1st place went to Darren Gardiner.
Congratulations to Darren on his win at the tournament and we wish him the best of luck as he puts the final touches on his London preparations. Big congratulations also to Ben and Nang who both lifted the required amounts to see them both accepted into the PPP squad. Both Ben and Nang have previously played for the Be Active Perth Wheelcats and recently made the switch over to the sport of powerlifting. Training out of the Muscle Pit in Cannington and the Western Force Gym in Mt Claremont, the boys have always showed natural ability and promise, but these results have helped prove to themselves, that they have what it takes to go further in the sport of powerlifting.
New Staff Member: Lindal Rohde
Hi everyone, just a quick introduction my name is Lindal Rohde and I’ve recently commenced as the Participation Officer here at Wheelchair Sports WA. I have a strong sporting background in both netball and athletics, representing the state throughout underage and then spending the last 4 years on WAIS scholarship. Last year I made my debut for the West Coast Fever in the ANZ Championship.
I went to school at St Marys and then graduated from UWA earlier this year with a Commerce degree majoring in marketing and finance and look forward to finally using the skills learnt at uni!
I’m really excited to be working for the Association and look forward to meeting the majority of you in the near future.
Seven of the Best: Basketballers Selected for London
This morning the Australian Paralympic Committee have officially announced the two wheelchair basketball teams that will head to London in August with seven Wheelchair Sports WA wheelchair basketball players selected in the two teams.
The list of players is headed by; Justin Eveson, Shaun Norris, Michael Hartnett and Brad Ness who were all a part of the Rollers team that won Gold at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008.
The boys will enter September’s Games as defending Paralympic and World Champions and every Wheelchair Sports WA member will be watching and hoping the boys can go back to back.
The four selections in the Rollers team add to the three West Australian selections in the women’s team, the Gliders. Clare Nott will compete at her second Paralympics after winning Bronze in Beijing and is joined by Amber Merritt and Sarah Vinci who will both compete in their first Paralympics.
The women’s game is extremely open with any of the top five teams in the world able to beat each other on their given day. The girls will be buoyed by their recent performances in a series against Germany and will be led by the Be Active Western Stars current Head Coach John Triscari.
Both the Rollers and the Gliders will compete in Sydney next month for in the World Challenge, a warm up tournament before they depart on 14th August for London
The seven selections this morning now make it fourteen Wheelchair Sports athletes that will compete at the London Paralympics, the equal most representation we have ever had.
WSWA will circulate the team’s schedules as well as the schedules of all of our athletes in the coming weeks.
Nigel Barley Wins World Cup in Spain
Nigel Barley is returning to Perth later this week after his last international races prior to departing for the London Paralympics. Racing in Italy, Spain and France against some of the fastest men in the world, Nigel Barley has sent a message to current World Champion, and reigning Paralympic medalists by taking out the UCI World Cup Time Trial in Spain.
Nigel’s tour started back at the end of May with a World Cup event in Italy. Still getting his body right after travelling, Nigel ran 4th in the Time Trial and 6th in the Road Race. His speeds were fast, but the rest of the field was faster.
A week later Nigel was in Switzerland for a round of European Handcycling Tour finishing third behind current World Champion Jeannott from France and Wilk from Poland. While Nigel and coach Jenni Banks were happy with the improvement in standings, his best was still yet to come.
As a part of the International Paracycling Tour, Nigel then raced in France and continued to improve, beating Jeannott in the Time Trial and finishing second behind him in the Road Race.
After a long tour, you could have excused Nigel for not performing in his 8th race in 4 weeks as the World Cup travelled to Spain. The field of riders was a strong as Nigel has ever raced against and you would expect very similar to the starting field of riders at the London Paralympic Games. Nigel peaked at the right time, putting in his best performance of the tour, taking out the Time Trial at an average speed of 41.62km/hr ahead of the top 3 ranked riders in the World.
Nigel’s speed in the Time Trial would have him in medal contention in almost any race around the world. His performance has signaled to the rest of the world that he is not to be underestimated at the London Games. Nigel went on to finish 4th in the Road Race the following day, but the message was well and truly received, Nigel Barley is a legitimate medal chance in London.
Be Active Stars Win Bronze
The Be Active Western Stars have capped off another successful WNWBL season finishing with a Bronze medal following this year’s finals series.
The top four teams in this year’s league cold barely be split with the Stars finishing the regular season on equal points as the North Sydney Bears, with just percentage separating the two.
To progress through to the grand final the stars had to win on both Friday night and Saturday. The Sydney Uni Flames never really troubled the Stars on Friday night as the girls progressed easily through to the preliminary final. Everyone hit the scoreboard in their first game for the weekend as the Flames simply had no answer for the Star’s spread of scoring and no answers to Amber Merritt who finished the game with 33 points.
The girls knew they had to be at their best the following day when they faced the Bears in the preliminary final. The Bears had been disappointing the night before against Dandenong, but looked to make amends early, jumping to a 34-10 half time lead. The shell shocked Stars couldn’t seem to buy a bucket and turned the ball over too much to drop the game 64-36. Eager to bounce back the following day, the Stars were quick to put that game behind them, knowing they still had a job to do in the Bronze medal game.
It was all stars early racing to a 36-21 half time lead. With Amber Merritt in early foul trouble though the Flames were able to claw their way back into the game bringing the margin back to five points in the dying stages of the game. To our girls credit though, they were able to hold their nerve and come away with a nine point win and a bronze medal in this year’s WNWBL, marking the first time the Flames have missed out on a medal since the league’s inception.
Everyone again hit the scoreboard in the Bronze medal match, clearly a target being fouled 14 times during the game on her way to 34 points.
Congratulations to the Be Active Western Stars on another successful season.
Special congratulations also go to Amber Merritt who picked up individual awards for the League’s Leading Scorer, High Point MVP and place in the All-Star Five.
Superfins Swim Club Gets Five Star Rating
Wheelchair Sports WA would like to congratulate Superfins Swim Club for achieving a five star status under the new Inclusive Club Standard Program. Three clubs from across Australia have been named as leaders in inclusion after being the first to achieve the five star rating.
Swimming Australia Ltd (SAL) launched the Inclusive Club Standard Program in December 2011 with the aim of increasing the standards of inclusive swimming in Australia, by fostering an accessible and enjoyable environment for people with a disability.
Over the course of the program there was a 16% increase in national registered membership of people with disability. Victoria’s Doncaster-Templestowe Amateur Swimming Club, Western Australia’s Superfins and Mount Anan Swimming Club in New South Wales, all scored 86% or above in the Program, giving them five star status and identifying them as leaders in inclusion.
As the Program develops it could also have a long term effect on the base of talent for the Paralympic pathway and with less than 75 days until the Paralympic Games in London and the announcement of the Australian Paralympic swimming team imminent, it is a timely reminder to clubs that inclusion is vital to the future of our sporting success.
A new area of focus addressed in this program looks at how clubs connect with the disability sector; Swimming Australia’s General Manager of Community Sport Adam Pine said it was important to facilitate communication between swimming clubs and other disability organisations.
“Less than 20% of clubs are actually making contact with disability organisations in their local community. Improvements in this area will encourage more people with disability to get involved in club swimming,” he said.
Superfins are based at Challenge Stadium and Lords and is the home to a number of Wheelchair Sports WA members, catering for everything from the recently launched Learn to Swim Program right through to National Squads. Head Coach Mathew Lovelock and President Jan Saunders should in particular be commended for all of their tireless efforts to promote and develop swimmers with a disability in Western Australia.
WA Champions: Connor & Aiden Johnstone
Connor Johnstone and brother Aiden have recently entered the Smarter than Smoking Secondary Schools Tournament representing their school (Ashdale Secondary College).
Connor who has Cerebral Palsy and competes at a National Level as a T8 has recently been moved into a Paralympic Preparation Squad as he has been identified as having an enormous future in the sport of table tennis. Younger brother Aiden, sick of getting beaten in the back shed by Connor, has also taken a shine to the sport and been selected in junior development squads here in WA.
The event was held on the 26th May at the WA Table Tennis Association. 19 teams from nine different schools competed with a number of WA State players competing. Due to the large number of teams an American style tournament was used giving all teams at least two matches.
The brothers won the Gold Medal Match against Perth Modern 3-2 after a long gruelling day of competition. To our knowledge this is the first time in the tournament’s history that an athlete with a disability has won this competition. Congratulations to both Connor and Aiden.
Be Active Wheelcats Win Silver in NWBL
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats have won silver in the 2012 National Wheelchair Basketball League this past weekend in Shellharbour.
Despite dropping their first game of the weekend to eventual winners the Wollongong Rollerhawks a double chance saw the Wheelcats given the opportunity to still qualify for the Championship game and a shot at the clubs seventh National title.
The Wheelcats dominated general play for the majority of their first semi final but a four minute lapse in concentration resulted in a 71-62 loss. Wheelcats veteran Robert Pike contributed 21 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds in his best performance of the year but it wasn’t enough as the Wheelcats would go on to face Dandenong in a preliminary final.
With their sights still well and truly on Wollongong the Wheelcats were surprised by a much improved Dandenong, leading but just one point at the first break.
From there it was one way traffic at the Cats turned 12 points up at the half and extended it out to 20 by three quarter time. The final score; Wheelcats 77, Dandenong 54.
Shaun Norris was outstanding all game, adding 32 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists in the win. Robbie Pike, Brant Garvey and Adam Deans all hit double figures in the game to set up a rematch with the Rollerhawks.
The following day, in front of a capacity crowd of an estimated 500 people, the Wollongong Rollerhawks and Be Active Perth Wheelcats hit the court for the grand final replay.
The second was as tight as the first with the Rollerhawks looking like leading by six at the half before a Luke Pople bomb from just inside halfway at the buzzer gifted the Rollerhawks a nine point buffer at the half.
The Wheelcats continued to battle and got off more shots than the Rollerhawks but couldn’t get them to drop while the Rollerhawks offense continued to tick over. Wollongong’s Shawn Russell was dominated inside while teammate Brett Stibners continued to hurt the Wheelcats from outside.
In the end the Wheelcats just didn’t have any answers for the Russell-Stibners combination. Brett Stibners kept the score table busy finishing with a triple-double (29 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists). Team mate Shawn Russell had a double-double (27 points and 15 rebounds) while Perth Captain Shaun Norris added 25 points to go along with his 11 rebounds and 7 assists.
Wheelcats captain Shaun Norris was awarded league’s mid-point MVP and a place in the all-star five alongside teammate Adam Deans.
Your Board: Media and Marketing
Wheelchair Sports WA has recently engaged the help of GT Media to assist with building the Association’s profile and internal capability in the area of media relations and publicity. The plan will incorporate a long term strategy that will take advantage of the upcoming London Paralympic Games to promote WSWA athletes.
The initiative was made possible by the Department of Sport and Recreation who have supported WSWA through their State Sporting Associations Annual Programs. The agreement will span April until August 2012 with the aim of delivering three key objectives:
- Develop a strategic media plan that leverages of the upcoming London Paralympic Games;
- Better position the organisation to utilise its media and public relations contacts; and
- Provide increased capacity of the organisation to deliver the media plan through training of key staff and athletes
Increased profile of the organisation will hopefully lead to increased commercial support and sponsorship and increased awareness of WSWA’s activities, opportunities for people with a physical disability and also the achievements of our amazing athletes.
In the short time WSWA has been working with GT Media, we have already made some massive inroads which included a short piece on Channel 10’s ‘The Project’, promoting the Be Active Perth Wheelcat’s home series against the Wollongong Rollerhawks: Be Active Perth Wheelcats on The Project
Emma-Jane Morcombe (or EJ) from GT Media has been working tirelessly on with WSWA staff and on behalf of WSWA. If you do happen to see EJ down at an event, make sure you go up and say hello.
By the end of the project, WSWA is confident that the tools and training provided by EJ and the team at GT Media will equip WSWA with the capacity to deliver sustainable marketing outcomes and have more of a presence in the media.
Goodbye Jess
After nine months with Wheelchair Sports WA, it is unfortunately time to say goodbye to Jessica Edwards.
Starting back in August 2011, Jess very quickly became a favourite amongst WSWA members. Attendances at events increased almost instantaneously and her bright, bubbly, enthusiastic personality shone through in everything she did.
Jess says she has loved every minute she has been involved with WSWA and says the highlight of her time has been learning about all the different sports and opportunities available to members.
Time has come though for her to move on and we want to wish her the very best in her future endeavours. We haven’t lost her altogether though as she is still playing every Thursday night in the re-launched rugby competition.
As difficult as it’s going to be, WSWA has now begun the process of replacing Jess and the person who comes in to fill that role has some big shoes to fill. For information or a copy of the job advertisement, contact Mandy: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
On behalf of WSWA’s Board, members of WSWA and especially her co-workers in the office, we would like to thank her for the contributions she has made to the Association over the past 9 months. Her infectious smile and positive attitude will be sorely missed by all.
Be Active Western Stars Finish Third
The Be Active Western Stars have capped off a successful regular season campaign by finishing equal second (third on percentage) on the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) Ladder.
The Stars won 2 of their 3 games during the Perth round of the WNWBL to finish equal with the much improved Stack Goudkamp Bears.
The Stars did it easy on Friday and Saturday night this past weekend coasting by long time rivals the Sydney Uni Flames and the Queensland Comets. Coming into Sunday’s game against the league leading Dandenong Rangers, the Stars only needed a draw to jump into second place. The game was played at a fanatic pace, with the intensity which clearly demonstrated why these two teams are considered two of the best in the country. Despite coming right down to the wire, Dandenong just ran over the top of the gallant Stars to steal a 6 point victory.
Amber Merritt dominated the game from inside and outside the paint finishing with a round high 34 points to finish the season as the league’s leading scorer for the second year running.
The Stars travel to Dandenong at the end of this month to battle it out for their maiden WNWBL Championship. Best of luck to the Be Active Western Stars!
Be Active Perth Wheelcats Finish Second
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats have finished the 2012 regular season in second place just one game behind league leaders the Wollongong Rollerhawks.
Despite dropping two games to Wollongong in round seven last month, the Wheelcats were the team to beat all season and got the wakeup call they perhaps needed leading into this month’s finals series.
The Wheelcats capped off their 2012 regular season campaign over the weekend with an 86 - 49 win over the Adelaide Thunder this past weekend. Brant Garvey impressed with 24 points in just 23 minutes of game time to lead all scoring for the Be Active Perth Wheelcats.
With the addition of Sarah Vinci for finals and with the team fully fit at the business end of the season, the 2012 Cats will be tested against last year’s champions the Wollongong Rollerhawks.
There is no doubting that Wollongong will not give up their position as the best in the country without a fight. The Be Active will need to be prepared for a fight in 2 weeks time when they hit the court in Wollongong to retake the title that has belonged to them for so many years.
Best of luck to the Be Active Perth Wheelcats.
Follow Clare on the Road to London
In the lead up to the London 2012 Paralympics, jump on and follow Clare Burzynski as she prepares herself for her second Games. Clare’s Blog titled, ‘A Road to London 2012’ follows the Gliders team as they prepare themselves to improve on their Bronze medal performance in Beijing.
If you have a spare few minutes, ‘A Road to London 2012’ is definitely worth checking out.
You can also follow Clare on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/clarenott10
Or follow some of our other Paralmypic hopefuls in:
Sarah Vinci: https://twitter.com/#!/Sarah_Vinci
Amber Merritt: https://twitter.com/#!/bambibabydoll
Brad Ness: https://twitter.com/#!/BradNess15
Katrina Porter: https://twitter.com/#!/kat1188
Madison De Rozario: https://twitter.com/#!/madiderozario
Brad Scott: https://twitter.com/#!/BradScott800
Adam Deans: https://twitter.com/#!/Deansy88
Quiz Night 2012 Best Ever
This year’s Quiz Night was bigger and better than ever before. With 45 tables and nearly 400 people, the night really was one to remember.
As guests entered the hall in their Green & Gold outfits, they were greeted by the portraits of
Wheelchair Sports WA’s very own athletes that would be proudly wearing the same colours at the London 2012 Paralympic Games later this year.
Yogi, our much loved and dedicated volunteer, was at his very best once again, kicking the night of with the YMCA, he got the crowd up and dancing creating a brilliant atmosphere, which only increased throughout the night.
Kerry Filkin, the host of all hosts and a permanent member of our Quiz Night team for the past few years took over from Yogi as she delivered the rounds to our Guests. Debbie’s pizzas were cooking, the drinks were flowing and everyone was in high spirits, enjoying the fabulous fundraising event.
We were overwhelmed with fantastic prizes this year, all of which had been generously donated by our members, sponsors, family and friends. Not only did we have 4 tables full of prizes for 1st,2nd,3rd & 2nd last, but we had spectacular spot prizes, raffle prizes & last but not least our magnificent Silent Auction, that raised an amazing amount of money.
The night really was a massive success and as Wheelchair Sports WA is a predominantly self funded organisation, nights like these really make a difference. So to everyone who helped make it possible, we would like to say a massive massive thank you to you all, whether you participated, donated, volunteered or helped out with the raffle, without any of you this night could not be the success it was.
We would like to make a special mention to Yogi for his outstanding DJ Efforts, Kerry Filkin for hosting a fantastic evening, Debbie & Wayne Robbins and their team Tina Dewberry, Mel Shaw, Lisa Deans, Connor Bloom, Esme Bowen, Doc & Rachel for running a fantastic bar and kitchen on the night. Last but not least Linda Morich for her continued support and help before, during & after the night.
Personal Bests for Nigel Barley in Italy
Nigel Barley is currently racing in Italy as a part of his preparations for the London 2012 Paralympics. The quality international field has been fast and Nigel has put in two personal best performances in both the Road Race and Time Trial.
The Sausage shaped time trial course was short by international standards measuring just 11kms, and the boys were fast. Nigel posted an average speed of 43.04km/hr to finish in 4th place. The time is a career best for Nigel in a Time Trial as he is still getting used to his new bike.
The Road Race was another short one at just 37km. Nigel was in the lead group with the top four riders finishing within a second of each other. Nigel posted an average speed of 42.64km/hr to finish in 3rd place, another personal best for Nigel.
The man to beat is still Frenchman Joel Jeanott, as he went on to win both the Time Trial and Road Race. His speed in the Time Trial especially was outstanding, posting an average speed in excess of 45km/hr. It seems all the boys are starting to peak as the best handcyclists in the world prepare themselves for the biggest event in the world and our man Nigel Barley looks like he will be right amongst in London.
It's Official: Madison Off to London
One of Australia’s bright young stars, Madison de Rozario, has made the cut and will feature at the London 2012 Paralympics.
At only 18, this will be de Rozario’s second Games. She returned from Beijing four years ago with a silver medal she won with the 4 x 100m Women’s Wheelchair Relay team
Though touted by many to be the next ‘Louise Sauvage’, Madison says she’s honoured to be described so, “…but there will always be only one Louise Sauvage. She’s been so amazing.”
In fact, NSW based, nine-time paralympic gold medallist Sauvage is de Rozario’s coach. The geographical distance between Sauvage and de Rozario has its downsides, but Madison’s dedication to her sport has helped ensure her place in the London bound team.
But the road has not been easy; in 2009 de Rozario underwent major back surgery and has been injury plagued since. Even her TEE exams had to be contemplated lying down on a bed.
In 2010, though under fit, de Rozario competed at the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) Junior Word Championships in the Czech Republic in an attempt to qualify for the IPC World Championships in New Zealand. She did qualify, and in doing so destroyed the world’s best junior wheelchair racers with six gold medals from six events and picked up three underage world records in the process.
The highlight of 2012 so far was Madison’s victory at the prestigious international Oz Day 10K along the Rocks in Sydney. With Kurt Fearnley, one of her heroes, the pair secured an all Australian victory.
Madison is currently in Switzerland on another phase of her vigorous preparation for the games in London in August.
Courtesy of www.madid.com.au
National Volunteers Week: David and Chris
If you’ve been following the Wheelchair Sports WA website or Facebook over the last six week you would have read a lot about the WA Paralympic Football Program and the very first WA Paralympic Football team. Wheelchair Sports WA is very excited to have been a part of this process but the real work horses of the program have been David Cantoni and Chris Barty.
David is a former Australian representative in Paralympic Football himself and was unfortunately classed out of the sport a few years ago. While disappointed, David turned his focus to coaching and working to try and establish a football program here in the west.
With numbers growing all the time and the entry our first state team, David’s work and knowledge of the sport has been acknowledged at a National Level with his appointment as an assistant to the Pararoos most recent international tournament in the Ukraine. This was David’s first trip away involved with the National program as a staff member and we all hope is not the last.
After switching his focus from wheelchair basketball to football in 2010, Chris Barty has been David’s right hand man right from day one. Chris and David both sat down in the early planning stages of the program and identified a clear vision for how they would like the program to run. Chris is in an unusual position as player/coach/mentor/administrator and National Squad member.
On the field Chris has impressed at a number of international events and indeed has a bright playing future ahead of him. Off the field Chris’s passion and enthusiasm for presenting opportunities for people (young and old) with Cerebral Palsy to play football has been second to none and helped ensure the continued growth and sustainability of the program.
The future of Paralympic Football is indeed in very good hands. With the support of Wheelchair Sports WA, Football West and the Australian Paralympic Committee David and Chris have turned a few kids playing football on a Saturday morning, into a professional program with an environment where players are nurtured and allowed to develop and take their football as far as they want.
Thank you to both the boys for the countless hours and efforts you have both put into the program. It is a credit to you both.
National Volunteers Week: SPOKED
The next group of Volunteers we are profiling tell me every year that they have been hard done by not to win the Volunteer of the Year award. They say it ‘tongue in cheek’ of course, but they do have a strong case to put forward when it comes the time and effort the boys at SPOKED put in on a weekly basis.
Every Thursday night from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on 91.3 SportsFM DJ Yogi B, Aaron Camm and Sam Clark cover everything that is up to date and current around disability sport and Wheelchair Sports WA. They interview people just starting out in sport and their parents right through to Paralmypians and legends of Paralympic sport such as Louise Sauvage.
Yogi has previously won the Volunteer of the Year award for the work he did with the wheelchair rugby program as well as his regular DJ gig at major events and associated fundraising activities. If there was a team captain of SPOKED it would be Yogi. The plans out weeks in advance what he wants to cover on the show and regularly knows news and results before they make their way back to the Wheelchair Sports WA.
While there have been some changes to the SPOKED crew since the show first aired in 2010, Yogi is now join regularly by Aaron Camm and Sam Clark, both long time members of the Association and multiple sport athletes.
Sam, an Australian representative in Athletics has now been a part of the Be Active Perth Wheelcats since their inception. Sam not only gives his time to the radio show on a weekly basis but has acted as court announcer for National League games and you will regularly see him refereeing the social wheelchair basketball competition on a Tuesday night.
Aaron is a swimmer turned wheelchair rugby player who, like Sam, has on numerous occasions lent us his services as court announcer for National League games and you’ll regularly find Aaron out at major events interviewing athletes for the show.
If you haven’t listened to the show before, do yourself a favour and switch your radio to 91.3 at 6:00pm on a Thursday night. Alternatively you can listen to the podcasts which go up the Friday after each show by clicking the link below: http://www.sportfm.com.au/programs-podcasts/
The three boys have been together for well over a year now and really do a wonderful job. Thanks to the team at SPOKED for all of the work you do keeping everyone up to date. If they have yet to contact you for an interview, be ready, no one is off limits to the boys at SPOKED.
National Volunteers Week: Greg and Caitlyn
Continuing along the theme of National Volunteer’s Week, there are not many people that have as much of an impact on young Wheelchair Sports WA’s members lives as our Little Dribblers coaches Greg Melvin and Caitlyn Dransfield.
2012 will be Greg’s third year volunteering down at the Little Dribblers Program. Greg originally came to Wheelchair Sports WA after more than 20 years of being involved in junior basketball as a coach and president. After being told it was a multisport program with sports like cricket, tee-ball, volleyball and ultimate Frisbee, Greg was initially hesitant to take it on. But after some persuasion he did take it on with Mark Lovell and hasn’t looked back.
Greg was our joint Volunteer of the Year winner in 2010 for his work with the Little Dribblers Program, but in the years since, the program has continued to grow with more kids than ever, more sports and more activities. Greg’s forward thinking has got the ball rolling in trying to transition some of the older participants of the Little Dribblers Program into sports specific programs.
Caitlyn has been involved for almost a year now and right from the starts, she just dived straight in. Her first experience with the program was at the 2011 Family Camp and since then she hasn’t looked back. She’s since started a Little Dribblers newsletter with games, stories and activities in it and really thought outside the box in terms of different types of activities for the program.
We are truly lucky to have Greg and Caitlyn involved in the program. The success of the Little Dribblers and the number of kids that keep coming back on a weekly basis is a credit to the quality of sessions that they run. The kids are kept moving and active and the scope of activities and games they have created to keep the kids interested is incredible.
National Volunteers Week: Craig and Jo
While you are sleeping in, watching the football or pottering leisurely around your garden on a Saturday, spare a thought for some of our most dedicated volunteers that are involved with our Junior Wheelchair Basketball Team in Craig Bartlett and Jo Morris.
Craig Bartlett has been at the helm of the junior team now for just over 12 months which has included a silver medal performance from the Black Ducks at the recent Kevin Coombs Cup. As the son in law of Wheelchair Sports WA’s current vice president Wayne Robins, some may say he married into the Wheelchair Sports WA family. He may not have known what he was getting himself into at the time, but has embraced Wheelchair Sports and all it has to offer.
Craig has volunteered at numerous junior camps, acted as team manager for the WA team at the Paralympic Youth Games in 2009, played in the State Wheelchair Basketball competition, assisted in the coaching of the junior team and now most recently taking on the top job with the junior basketball team. Following the Kevin Coombs Cup last month Craig has switched his focus to the development of wheelchair basketball as a whole and has some great initiatives that will be implemented in the coming months with the help of Jess, Joel the rest of his coaching staff.
Jo Morris has only come to Wheelchair Sports more recently, originally looking to gain some practical experience as a physio. As a former basketball player herself, Jo was very much thrown into the deep end appointed to be Craig’s assistant and team physio for the Black Ducks.
It’s almost been 12 months since Jo has begun volunteering for the Association and she has quickly found herself well loved by everybody at Wheelchair Sports WA. She has found a place for herself in the Mighty Purple Dragons on a Monday night and for the past few weeks (and next few weeks) has been working with the Little Dribblers program to prepare the kids for their curtain raiser prior to the Wheelcats vs Wollongong game on Sunday 27th May.
Jo continues to look to improve her knowledge of wheelchair basketball and will start working with the Be Active Western Stars and Gliders coach John Triscari in the coming months to help develop herself even more.
This week is National Volunteers Week and on behalf of Wheelchair Sports WA and our Board, we would like to say thank you to Craig and Jo, and all of the volunteers that contribute significant amounts of time and energy into the Association and its programs on a regular basis. Often at times it can feel like a thankless job but our volunteers really are the strength and life blood of our beloved Association.
Road to London: Katrina Porter
At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, Katrina Porter won the 100m Backstroke breaking the world record for the event in both the heats and then again in the final. Four years later and Katrina is ready to do it all again as the 23 year old Perth Girl prepares herself for what is likely to be her last Paralympics as a swimmer.
Kat burst onto the International scene as a 15 year old at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. While she wasn't able to medal at these games, there was no doubting that she was a star in the making. In 2006 at a World Championships event, Kat bought home her first international medal with a bronze in the 100m breaststroke.
Two years later, Kat realised her dream, competing in a total of seven events at the Beijing games, but most notably winning gold in the 100m Backstroke, breaking the world record in the process.
The last 2 years in the lead up to the London Games, Kat has swum at clubs throughout Europe and most recently has settled in Sydney to finalise her preparations for the 2012 Games.
You can take the girl out of Perth but you certainly cannot take the Perth out of the girl and this is most certainly the case with Katrina Porter and we look forward to having her back home after the London Games. And while I'm sure she is running out of space in the pool room for all of her individual awards and accolades over the years, Kat will be hoping, as much as we all are, that she can pick up her second Paralympic medal later this year.
April's the Month for Basketball
This month's calendar has been none stop with basketball, we've had the Be Active Western Stars heading to Sydney for Round 3 of the WNWBL, the long awaited Kevin Coombs Cup here in Perth & last but by no means least, the Be Active Perth Wheelcats took on Brisbane in their first home games for the year.
The Be Active Western Stars currently find them self 2nd on the WNWBL ladder despite only winning one game in round 3. They began the round with an unsettled start, as the plane was delayed, meaning the girls had to jump off the bus and straight on to the court, to face the Stacks Goudkamp Bears. Unfortunately the full day of travel was too much for the girls, going down to the Bears by 22 points.
After a disappointing 27 point loss to the Dandenong Rangers in their second game, the girls really brought it back in their final game against the Sydney Flames. The girls didn't have the best of starts losing Q1 10-2, however fought back in Q2 &Q3 and went into the last quarter trailing by 5 points. Q4 proved to be The Stars "finest hour" winning the final quarter 21-9 and taking the game by a 7 point margin! Fantastic work ladies.
Information and stats can be found be clicking here.
Despite a disappointing loss in the gold medal game against NSW, the Black Ducks played an exceptional tournament and really showed the rest of the country what WA was all about. For information on the week's events visit http://www.wheelchairsportswa.org.au/news/?article=188-black-ducks-take-the-silver-at-the-kevin-coombs-cup&month=04&year=2012
To finish off a busy week, The Be Active Perth Wheelcats kept their perfect season alive with a pair of wins over the Brisbane Spinning Bullets. The 43 and 41 point victories have consolidated the Be Active Perth Wheelcats spot on top of the NWBL Ladder as they were never really challenged by the Bullets. To find out more information on the Be Active Wheelcats games click here.
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats backed up their Brisbane series with a win on the road over the weekend to extend their streak to 10 consecutive wins find out more here.
Big Cats Have Big Win
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats have cruised to their 10th consecutive win over the weekend, downing the Brisbane Spinning Bullets 93-39. This moves the Be Active Perth Wheelcats to a perfect ten wins and zero losses on the season.
The win came as three players reached double figures, Robbie Pike leading the way with 29 points in his 27 minutes on the floor. Robbie was dominant also pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists, shooting the ball at 76% including three from four beyond the arc. Adam Deans had 26 points to go along with his 12 rebounds. Captain Shaun Norris contributed 20 while Kim Robins chipped in with 10 points and 7 assists.
Full stats at www.nwblaus.com
The Be Active Wheelcats focus for the remaining five games for the season will be settling their starting five and making sure they qualify as many players as they can for finals. With four of their remaining five games being played at home, the Wheelcats will also be looking to consolidate a top two finish and guarantee themselves a double chance in this year's finals series.
Don't miss your chance to catch the mighty Be Active Perth Wheelcats in action this year. The remaining home games for the year will be:
12 May 2012
Mandurah Rec and Aquatic Centre
6:00pm vs Dandenong Rangers
13 May 2012
Herb Graham Recreation Centre
12:00 noon vs Dandenong Rangers
26 May 2012
Herb Graham Recreation Centre
7:00pm vs Wollongong Rollerhawks
27 May 2012
Herb Graham Recreation Centre
11am vs Wollongong Rollerhawks
National Athletics Championships Wrap Up
National Championships are over for another season with all WA based athletes performing well at the 2012 event.
Sian Glanney was the story of the Nationals in 2012. The 14 year old finished with a PB in the 100m of 15.52s to reset her own U16, U18 and U20 Australian records but just narrowly missing the final. In the long jump she was robbed of a medal finishing 4th overall in a field of 8, with a best jump of 3.95m, 0.08m off her own Australian record.
Sian PB'd again in the 200m with new U16, U18 & U20 National T44 200m records with a time of 33.19s finishing 10th in a field of 14.
Andrew Bannister ran a 15.00 for the 100m, his fastest time in 2012. In the field of 18 he finished 14th with 81% of the world record. He would have had to run 13.9s to have made the final. In the 400m Andrew finished 14th out of 15 with a time of 1:11.26 just a little outside his previous best.
In the 200m Andrew finally broke through the 30s barrier with a time of 29.86s (82.55% of the world record) finishing 13th out of a field of 17. Andrew also ran the 800m but in the hot humid and windy conditions didn't perform at his best finishing 13th with a time of 2.57.44. Despite not making a final Andrew did manage to improve his percentage of the world record for the 100m, 200m & 400m by an average of 8% from last year's Nationals.
Our own Madison de Rozario also raced at the championships and despite battling injury, Madi still came away with 4 medals from her 4 events. She picked up silver in both the 400m and 800m and had to settle for bronze in the 100m and 200m.
Perth ex-pats Damien Bowen and Sam Harding who both currently reside in Canberra to be close to their coaches, both were strong during the championships. Sam broke the 2 minute mark in the 800m to finish with a silver medal, while Damo picked up a pair of gold medals in both the Shotput and Javelin ahead of his training partner Hamish Macdonald.
Be Active Perth Wheelcats Move to 9-0
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats have kept their perfect season alive with a pair of wins over the Brisbane Spinning Bullets. The 43 and 41 point victories have consolidated the Be Active Perth Wheelcats spot on top of the NWBL Ladder as they were never really challenged by the Bullets.
Despite the pair of wins, the young Brisbane side showed enough to suggest that in the coming years, they will be a force to be reckoned with. With the Likes of Jake Fulwood, Bailey Rowland, Jordan Bartley and budding superstar Tom O'Neil Thorne, Brisbane supporters can look forward to many years of success at the Bullets.
For the locals, Jake Kavanagh was strong again, after a full week as captain of the Kevin Coombs Cup, Jake played valuable minutes, contributing 14 points in Game 1 and another 5 in Game 2. Jake has transitioned into senior basketball extremely well and is looking more and more like an established member of the Wheelcats with each game he plays.
Shaun Norris continued his dominant start to the season, pouring on 32 points in Game one, the Cats spreading the scoring in Game 2 with players reaching double figures.
Full stats available at www.nwblaus.com
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats will travel to Brisbane this week to finish the series and will be back in Perth in May to take on the Dandenong Rangers.
Saturday May 12th vs Dandenong Rangers
Mandurah Recreation and Aquatic Centre
6:00pm Tipoff
Sunday May 13th vs Dandenong Rangers
Herb Graham Recreation Centre
12:00noon Tipoff
Black Ducks take the Silver at the Kevin Coombs Cup
After two years of waiting the Under 21s Kevin Coombs Championships was finally here, and the WA Black Ducks had their chance to shine again.
This Year's team was made up of 10 dedicated juniors, 5 Coaching Staff and an endless amount of friends and family supporting the team every step of the way.
Sadly due to a Gliders Camp Amber Merritt was unable to join the WA Black ducks in the fight to hold onto that championship cup, but with her motivational words of support she was beside them every step of the way, congratulating and encouraging each player to remember this opportunity and wear the black and gold jersey with pride.
WA Black Ducks
Georgia Inglis
Ryan Morich
Jake Kavanagh
Claude Moke
Stevie Shaw
Tyler Bunter
Robyn Lambird
Andy Dewberry
Chris Bonilla
Dan Palovich
Craig Bartlett (Head Coach)
Nick Radovich (Assistant Coach)
Kim Robbins (Assistant Coach)
Jo Morris (Physio)
Jessica Edwards (Team Manager)
WA Black Ducks played their first game of the tournament on Wednesday 18th April against NSW, unfortunately the game was a tough one and the black ducks fell short by 2 points. Captain Jake Kavanagh put this down to nerves as for some it was their very first tournament. Although, we couldn't come away with the win the young team put up a good fight and never gave up.
Game 2 and the ducks were up against Victoria; unfortunately we lost our youngest member of the team that day, Andy Dewberry, falling ill, meaning he was unable to play. The start of the game left a bit to be desired, meaning rotations were delayed to start with, however the guys picked up the pace and the whole team got there moment to shine, with the bench getting good minutes and Tyler and Chris scoring their first points in the black ducks uniform. Each player rose to the occasion in the Victoria game, which reflected in the final score, Black ducks 66 Victoria 31.
Game 3 and WA were set to play a full strength QLD team, their star players had flown in the previous night and were ready for our game, as the Black Ducks hadn't had the chance to eye up the full strength QLD team. Their game play was left up to the imagination of the Black Ducks, so all they could do was put in 100% and play the game the WA way, both teams played an exceptional game, and through hard work and determination the Black Ducks got up by 2 points, meaning we were set to play Vic in the semi finals later that day.
After a few hours rest WA Black Ducks hit the court, although the intensity had died down from the previous match the Black Ducks still but in a good game and all players got good minutes on the court, coming out on top 56 – 41.
The Following day was the Gold Medal Match and we were set to play NSW again, after learning from our previous games we thought we were well prepared to regain our win and take home that championship cup. However, NSW hit us hard in the 1st quarter and we just couldn't manage to break their press, going down 73-40.
After the devastating loss, everyone was disheartened and emotional, however the coaching team reminded the Ducks that the match wasn't a true reflection on their success, they were a strong and confident team with exceptional skills that should hold their heads high and be proud of what they had achieved.
As a team not only had they just won the Silver Medal at the Kevin Coombs cup but they had worked together, grown together, learnt together, won together and sadly lost together, but despite it all they came out a better team for it.
On behalf of Wheelchair Sports WA I'd like to say a massive well done and thank you to the Junior Team for all their hard work and determination, to Craig, Kim, Nick, Jo & all those who have helped the team train over the past few months, and last but not least a massive thank you to all the parents, friends and family, for all your time and support.
All Heart: WA Paralympic Football Team at Nationals
From little things, big things grow. That's the message coming out of the WA Paralympic Football camp after the state team returned from their first ever national championships.
The event was held in Rockhampton, Queensland, from 12-16 of April and marked a historic occasion for football in Western Australia. Even though the team finished at the foot of the table, several major milestones were achieved.
After a respectable opening performance against the seasoned Queensland, WA recorded a 1-0 win against South Australia in what was described by Australian Head Coach Paul Brown as 'one of the best games ever seen at the nationals'.
Striker Chris Minutillo tucked the ball away in the bottom corner to get WA on the scoreboard. The boys in gold were then forced to defend staunchly for much of the second half as South Australia continually searched for an equalizer.
In the next match against Victoria, Michael Debenham scored early but a defensive error, followed by a late free kick from Victorian talisman Benn Roche meant that WA would lose narrowly (2-1).
Eventual champions New South Wales would account comfortably for the debutants, but WA didn't die wondering, continually pressing forward and playing some football that was not reflective of the scoreboard.
Success also came on an individual basis with Captain and former Wheelcat Chris Barty was awarded Goalkeeper of the Tournament and was named as the Best and Fairest player from Western Australia.
"It was an honour to be named goalkeeper of the tournament, I was pleased with my performance but to be honest I'm more proud of the team as a whole," he said.
"We were undermanned the whole tournament, but they guys never gave up, you can't ask for anything more. We surprised everybody with the quality of football we played and getting that win was a terrific reward for the guys."
"Michael Debenham has a massive engine on him and goes all day, whilst juniors Nick Prescott, Ben Tirabosco and Conrad Morris played with composure above their years and learnt a lot from the experience."
Barty also said that special mention had to go out to 42 year old Andrew 'Fergie' Staddle, who proved that age was no barrier.
"Fergie was great! You can't fault the guy for effort, he and Damo (McGay) were rocks at the back."
I'm already looking foward to next year, we'll all go back to our club teams and come back bigger and better."
The WA Paralympic Football program will take a short break before returning in mid-June. To keep up-to-date with all the latest, follow the team at www.facebook.com/waparalympicfootball
WA Handcycle Team Kicks Into Gear
In torrential, relentless rainy conditions our team of WA handcyclists have put in some brilliant performances in the recent Para-Cycling Road Championships in tropical North Queensland, coming home with a combined total of six medals.
The team of six included Nigel Barley, Craig Parsons, Peter Allen, James Ormerod, Richard Williams and Louise Mofflin.
Nigel Barley was an unbackable favourite to win his 8th consecutive National Championships title in the H3 Classification and did not disappoint picking up a pair of gold medals in both the Road Race and Time Trial events. Richard Williams in his first National Championships was a surprise packet, unlucky not to medal in the Time Trial finishing 4th but picking up Bronze in the Road Race.
Craig Parsons, is another perennial winner at Nationals but suffered some early bike trouble in the Time Trial forcing him to withdraw from the race. Literally getting back on the bike the following morning, Craig comfortably took out Gold in the Road Race in the H1 Classification.
In the female division, Louise Mofflin picked up a pair of Silver Medals in her first appearance at National Championships, despite riding part of the Time Trial on a flat tyre.
Peter Allen suffered a similar fate in the Time Trial suffering a late flat as he went on to finish 5th and 6th in the Time Trial and Road Race respectively. James Ormerod, also in the H2 classification finished one spot behind Peter in both races.
This was the biggest team of Handcyclists WA has ever sent to a National Championships and we could not be happier with the results they have returned home with. Congratulations to the entire travelling team.
A Star on the Rise: Connor Johnstone
In a busy month for Wheelchair Sports WA Athletes, Connor Johnstone has kicked it all off with head turning performances at the recent AWD Table Tennis National Championships on the Gold Coast.
Pre-departure Connor, was sick which was not helped by the fact that his plane was delayed for 5 hours, not departing Perth until 3:45am on Easter Sunday morning.
Understandably Connor was sluggish on the early days of the tournament as he recovered from the horrific flight times but as the week progressed, people started to really sit up and take notice of the 16 year old.
Connor played some of his best Table Tennis of his short career with, the Paralympic coaches taking notice as they begin to set up a training program for Connor back at home. Particular comments were made as to how much he had improved since they first saw him at the Arafura Games in 2011.
Connor finished with a Silver Medal in the Open Class Juniors, Silver in the Class 8-11 Teams and a Bronze Medal in the Open Class 8 singles against some very tough competition.
Congratulations Connor.
Road to London - Clare Nott
A surviving member from the bronze medal winning Australian team from Beijing 2008, Clare Nott (nee Burzynski) shapes as an integral member of the Gliders heading into London 2012.
Clare made her name with the Be Active Western Stars in the WNWBL, rising to prominence in 2005 when she was named Best New Talent in the domestic competition and then later that year went on to represent Australia for the first time. Since then, she has been a mainstay of the Gliders setup at a host of international competitions, including a Paralmypic bronze medal in Beijing and a 4th place finish at the IWBF World Championships in 2010.
As a self diagnosed sufferer of ‘white line fever’, Clare’s preparation for London sees her captaining the Be Active Western Stars in season as she tries to balance her Stars commitments with Gliders commitments, full time work and study.
Not that she’ll be retiring any time soon. Clare has many more years of basketball in her. She would love to follow in the footsteps of Glider Liesl Tesch and Roller Troy Sachs and still be playing the sport she loves at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Stars on Top at Halfway Point
The Be Active Western Stars have taken top spot on the WNWBL ladder after round 2 of season 2012. Travelling to Melbourne this past weekend to take on the Dandenong Rangers, QLD Minecraft Comets and North Sydney Bears, our beloved Stars won two out of their three games and take top spot going into round 3.
Game one of the weekend against the reigning champions and season favourites the Dandenong Rangers and our girls were far from outmatched. After getting jumped early, it was catch up basketball for the rest of the game for the Be Active Western Stars, but they did it in style, winning both the second and third quarters to reduce a 12 point quarter time margin to just 7 at the last change. Dandenong proved their class though running away with it in the last quarter to take the 17 point win. Amber Merritt continued to dominate the score sheet with 27 points with the help of Stars captain Clare Nott with 7 assists.
Game two against QLD and the Be Active Western Stars did this one easily, winning every quarter to run out 23 point winners. Every player hit the score sheet in an all around team display. Amber Merritt 27, Amanda Nott 13, Clare Burzynski 10, Sarah Vinci 8, Georgia Inglis 7 and Natalie Alexander with 2.
Game three against the North Sydney Bears and despite trailing 13-10 at quarter time, the Be Active Western Stars held the Bears to just 10 points for the rest of the game, including a 10-0 second quarter, Amber unstoppable with 32 points to go along with her 17 rebounds, Amanda Nott scored 10 of her own with 9 rebounds and captain Clare Nott bringing her team mates into the game with 9 assists.
Coach John Triscari could not be happier with the girls at the half way point of the season. All season he has continually praised the work ethic and commitment of the Stars. This was the year that everyone was going to have to step up and take their game to the next level.
'I'm just so proud of what the girls have been able to achieve so far this year' said Coach Triscari following the weekend's games.
The Be Active Western Stars are in action in Perth from June 1 - 3.
Quiz Night Time
There will be plenty of prizes to be won with door prizes, spot prizes, secret auctions and raffles, so don't miss out, empty your wallets and piggy banks and bring all your loose change along for a night out!!
Drinks will be available to purchase on the Night & it's BYO Food!
When: Saturday 19th May 2012
Where: Herb Graham Recreation Centre
27 Chesterfield Road
Mirrabooka, 6061
Time: 6.30pm arrival for 7.00pm start
Prices: $10.00pp or $80 for a table of 8
Get your bookings in ASAP & encourage others to do so too!!
Tables can be paid for in advance by calling the admin office 9443 4833, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
*Receipts for payments will only be issued upon request
Rediscover Rugby
Wheelchair Sports WA would like to introduce you to our brand new revamped Social Rugby Competition, which is due to began on Thursday 7th June.
If you have never heard of never mind played Wheelchair rugby and feel like you don't want to be thrown in the deep end, then don't worry as we have two Come & Try days planned towards the end of April and May, where you can come along and give it ago. Dates will be confirmed, so keep your eyes peeled for more information.
Wheelchair Sports rugby team currently trains two nights a week (Tuesdays & Thursdays) at the Herb Graham Recreation Centre and are always looking for new players. So don't hold back come down today and see what you're missing!
If you are interested in any of the information you have seen today then please do not hesitate to get in touch on 9440 4245 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
WA Paralympic Footballers Prepare for Nationals
The team also boasts two National team players in Chris Barty and Michael Debenham, who will both miss the training camp due to taking part in the AFC Dream Asia Cerebral Palsy Tournament in Abu Dhabi with the Pararoos.
Bunbury-born Cantoni is also a former Pararoo himself and will lead the team into the National Championships which will be held at Frenchville Sports Club in Rockhampton, from Friday 13 April to Monday 16 April.
16-year-old Ben Tirabosco plays for Kalamunda and adds versatility as he can swap with goalkeeper Chris Barty between the posts and also play in the outfield.
"I think we can at least aim for a medal," said Tirabosco.
"I think New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria will be the strongest States, but fingers crossed we can get a medal.
"It will be good to see how we go because this is our first time, but I'm very happy to be a part of the team and looking forward to it (the Championships)."
Football West would like to thank Wheelchair Sports WA and the Australian Paralympic Committee as the major contributors behind the effort in getting this first Paralympic State football team over to the Eastern States.
For more information on Football West's award-winning Equal Footingball program, please visit http://www.footballwest.com.au/community/equal-footingball/
The training camp begins at 10am Saturday 31 March at Gibbney Reserve in Maylands.
Six WSWA Swimmers Feature at Nationals
The eight day long Championships were hosted in Adelaide which is the first time the event has moved away from Canberra for a number of
years.
As they put their finishing touches on the campaigns to gain selection for the Paralympic team in London Madeleine Scott and Katrina Porter
both had hectic schedules with both girls enter six events each. Madi did her chances no harm qualifying for 4 finals from her six events, medalling in the 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly while Katrina also pushed he claims for her second Paralympic berth qualifying for three finals.
It is encouraging to see the younger WA swimmers like Liam Smith, Luke Smith and Nicole Scott qualifying and competing in open National Championships. After strong showings at Age Championships towards the latter half of 2011 for those swimmers to them be able to make the transition into senior competition, despite their young ages shows they're development is on the right track.
For a full wrap up of results, including times from heats and preliminary races click here.
Basketball 2012 Home Dates
With the 2012 NWBL and WNWBL well under way and both teams heading off to a great start, we begin to announce those all important Home Game dates, where we can get behind our beloved Be Active Wheelcats, Be active Western Stars and not to forget our Junior Team the Black Ducks.
We kick of the home Games in April this year with the Kevin Coombs Cup on Wednesday 18th April – Saturday 21st April.
Wednesday 18th April: WA (Black Ducks) Vs NSW
5:30pm @ WA Basketball Stadium
Thursday 19th April: WA (Black Ducks) Vs VIC
5:00pm @ WA Basketball Stadium
Friday 20th April: WA (Black Ducks) Vs QLD
9:00am @ WA Basketball Stadium
5:00pm Semi-Final 1 @ WA Basketball Stadium
5:30pm Semi-Final 2@ WA Basketball Stadium
Saturday 21st April.
10:30am Bronze Medal Game @ WA Basketball Stadium
12:30pm Gold Medal Game @ WA Basketball Stadium
Followed closely by the Be Active Wheelcats playing the Brisbane's Spinning Bullets, that same weekend on the 21st April, the rest of the home games are as follows.
Saturday 21st April: Be Active Wheelcats Vs Brisbane
4:00pm @ WA Basketball Stadium
Sunday 22nd April: Be Active Wheelcats Vs Brisbane
12:00pm @ Herb Graham Recreation Centre
Saturday 12th May: Be Active Wheelcats Vs Dandenong
6:00pm @ Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre
Sunday 13th May: Be Active Wheelcats Vs Dandenong
12:00pm @ Herb Graham Recreation Centre
Saturday 26th May: Be Active Wheelcats Vs Wollongong
7:00pm @ Herb Graham Recreation Centre
Sunday 27th May: Be Active Wheelcats Vs Wollongong
11:00pm @ Herb Graham Recreation Centre
The Be Active Western Stars hit home on Friday 1st June – Sunday 3rd June, to play the 5th round of the WNWBL @ the Herb Graham Recreation Centre.
Friday 1st June: Be Active Western Stars Vs Sydney University Flames @ 6:00pm
Saturday 2nd June: Be Active Western Stars Vs MineCraft Comets @ 4:00pm
Sunday 3rd June: Be Active Western Stars Vs Victoria Dandenong Rangers @ 12:00pm
Young Wheelcats Continue to Set Tone
Game one on Saturday night and Adam Deans and Kim Robins combined for a total of 44 of the teams 63 points on their way to a 20 point victory. The Cats were never really headed taking a 19 point lead into half time and holding to take the victory. Amber Merritt also chipped in with 11 points while Ryan Morich added 6 of his own.
Backing up the following day and it was a similar story for the Wheelcats running out 22 point winners with five players hitting double figures. Ryan Morich, Jake Kavanagh, Adam Deans, Sam Clark and Kim Robins all kept the scorers busy scoring in double figures in a dominant team display.
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats will now take a couple of weeks off before hitting the court at home for the first time this year at home on Saturday April 21st.
Wheelchair Sports Head to the Races
Each person was allocated a race to bet their $10 on, the winnings from each team were added together, and the team at the end with the most money wins!!
Luckily for the seniors their experience in betting paid off coming out with over $200, not so lucky however, for the rest of us, with over 15 bets on and only one coming in at $24, we regretfully admit defeat.
All in all we had a great day out and on behalf of WSWA I would like to thank everyone who came along for the day, and we looking forward to seeing you all again next year.
National Handcycling Series Hits Perth
A 15km Time Trial on Saturday afternoon was followed by a 30km Road Race the following morning as a part of the 2012 Freeway Bike Hike.
Conditions were ideal for Time Trialing on Day one of the Series Round and Wheelchair Sports WA was lucky to have been able to enlist the help of some volunteer course marshals, amateur photographers and Peter Meyer from the Australian Time Trials Association (ATTA). Results from the Champion Lakes Time Trial are below:
MH1
Craig Parsons (WA) – 29:12 (av. Speed 30.82 km/hr)
MH2
Michael Taylor (VIC) – 24:17 (av. Speed 37.06 km/hr)
Peter Allen (WA) – 26:09 (av. Speed 34.40 km/hr)
Alex Welsh (VIC) – 27:10 (av. Speed 33.11 km/hr)
James Ormerod (WA) – 28:46 (av. Speed 31.28 km/hr)
Harley Quinlan (QLD) – 29:20 (av. Speed 30.67 km/hr)
Darron Shields (QLD) – 31:09 (av. Speed 28.88 km/hr)
WH2
Tiffiney Perry (NZL) – 32:12 (av. Speed 27.94 km/hr)
Louise Mofflin (WA) – 35:08 (av. Speed 25.61 km/hr)
MH3
Nigel Barley (WA) – 22:25 (av. Speed 40.14 km/hr)
Richard Williams (WA) – 29:12 (av. Speed 30.83 km/hr)
MH4
Stuart Tripp (VIC) – 23:09 (av. Speed 38.85 km/hr)
Backing up the following day meant an extremely early start for all of the athletes. The most encouraging thing to see at the Freeway Bike Hike was the support of the WA based handcyclists for the Road Race with a total of19 starting handcyclists. This was the biggest number of handcyclists ever to enter the Freeway Bike Hike.
To be included as a race in the Perth Round of the National Handcycling Series athlete were required to enter the 30km, Currambine to Perth Race. WA’s Nigel Barley and Queenslands Stuart Tripp made the journey down to Mandurah to tackle the 70km course and both posted average speeds in excess of 41km/hr.
The Road Race Results for the Perth Round of the National Handcycling Series were as follows:
H3
- 1.Richard Williams (WA)
H2
- 1.Michael Taylor (VIC)
- 2.Peter Allen (WA)
- 3.Alex Welsh (VIC)
- 4.Harley Quinlan (QLD)
- 5.James Ormerod (WA)
- 6.Darron Shields (QLD)
- 7.Jim Cairns (WA)
- 8.Geoff Hart (WA)
H1
- 1.Craig Parsons (WA)
- 2.Paul Sayer (WA)/Scott Hewitt (WA)
WH3
- 1.Tiffiney Perry (NZL
- 2.Louise Mofflin (WA)
- 3.Christine Kerr (WA)
Wheelchair Sports WA would like to sincerely thank all of the athletes that came from far and wide to be a part of the Perth round. We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to all of the volunteers that helped us make the round a possibility. Wayne Allen, Peter ‘Yogi’ Houlis, Jenni Banks, Peter Meyer and his team at ATTA, Brent Klesura and anybody else that I may have missed. The round would not have existed without your support and we sincerely thank you and look forward to expanding the round in 2013 with a potential third ride.
The WA team of; Nigel Barley, Peter Allen, Craig Parsons, James Ormerod, Louise Mofflin and Richard Williams have a few weeks off now to prepare themselves for an assault on National in Brisbane next month. Good luck team.
Be Active Western Stars Continue to Sparkle
The season opener for the Stars was against long time rivals the Sydney Uni Flames and our girls got the jump on the Flames early holding a narrow 2 point lead into the half time break. The teams split the third quarter to keep the margin at 2 points going into the final quarter before running out 6 point winner. Amber Merritt, last year’s leading scorer, picked up where she left off with 33 points with Amanda Nott contributing 12.
Game 2 and the Be Active Western Stars fronted up against the much improved North Sydney Bears. The Bears features Australian players Kylie Gauci, Kathleen O’Kelly-Kennedy, Tina Mackenzie and Japanese International Mari Amimoto. Despite leading at the half time break, the Stars were over run in the third by a very strong Bears team. Amber Merritt added 17 to the scoreboard with Sarah Vinci (11) and Amanda Nott (9) also keeping the score table busy.
The final game of the round was against another very much improved team the Minecraft Comets from Queensland. Led by Bridie Keen from the Gliders, the teams were barely able to be split with the Be Active Western Stars holding on to claim a 1 point win and a record of 2-1 for the forst round of the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League.
The girls now have the week off before taking off to Melbourne for Round 2 where they will face last year’s champions and early season favourites the Dandenong Rangers.
The Be Active Western Stars will be in action in Perth from June 1st – 3rd. Keep an eye of the Be Active Western Star’s Home Page: http://www.wheelchairsportswa.org.au/stars.html
Or you can check out all the results, stats and standings from the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League at: http://www.wnwbl.basketball.net.au/
Be Active Wheelcats Consolidate Top Spot
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats have solidified their position on top of the NWBL ladder following two impressive wins against the Adelaide Thunder over the weekend. Coach Kelvin Browner made several changes to the team that travelled to Dandenong for the league launch a fortnight ago, allowing Amber Merrit, Sam Clark and Andrew Liddawi to make their 2012 debuts.
The first game was played on Saturday evening at the Marion Leisure and Fitness Centre and despite several Perth players succumbing to the effects of mild food poisoning just minutes before the game, the Cats got out to an early 12 to 2 lead, thanks largely to a fast transition game from future Roller prospects Adam Deans and Kim Robins. The team finished the game with a very tidy 5 turnovers and 33 assists with the final score at 91 to 36.
The second game was played at the St Clair Recreation centre and the Cats once again got off to a great start, stretching the lead to 17 points by quarter time. The Be Active Wheelcats were never troubled in this game as tight defence ensured a 93 to 26 win. Cats Captain and Australian Rollers stalwart Shaun Norris led the team from the front with a triple double consisting of 28 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Not to be outdone, Kim Robins returned a very impressive 24 points at 71% from the floor. Like the night before, the Wheelcats showed their depth and "team" mentality by recording 30 assists for the game.
The Be Active Wheelcats next travel to New South Wales on the 25th of March to play Sydney Uni before their first home game to be held on the 21st of April against the RSL Queensland Spinning Bullets at Herb Graham Recreation Centre.
- Sam Clark
WA Boys to Represent Australia
It is with great pleasure to announce that West Australians Chris Barty and Michael Debenham have been named in the Australian team to represent Australia in the AFC Dream Asia Cerebral Palsy Football Tournament.
The team is:
Players
- 1. David Barber, QLD (Captain)
- 2. Chris Pyne, NSW, (Vice Captain)
- 3. Ben Atkins, NSW
- 4. Brett Fairhall, NSW
- 5. Connor Marsh, NSW
- 6. James Turner, NSW
- 7. Jack Williams, NSW
- 8. Jared Eiby, QLD
- 9. Robert Christie, QLD
- 10. Joshua Seaman, SA
- 11. Christopher Barty, WA
- 12. Michael Debenham, WA
Staff
- 1. Paul Brown, Head Coach
- 2. David Campbell, Team Manager
- 3. Kai Lammert, Assistant Coach
- 4. Darryl Darke, Goalkeeper Coach
- 5. Mathew Prior, Physiotherapist
There are 6 players out of the 12 who have been selected for the first time and they are: Connor Marsh, James Turner, Robert Christie, Joshua Seaman, Christopher Barty and Michael Debenham.
Both Chris and Michael will be representing WA at the National Football Championships next month in Rockhampton. This will be the first time WA has entered a team into the Paralympic Football Nationals and it is terrific to see the emergence of our WA players at a Representative Level.
Congratulations boys.
WA Feature at National Wheelchair Rugby Series
WA based wheelchair rugby players Nick Peters, Zeb Gibson and Aaron Camm have made a brilliant impression in the first round of the National Wheelchair Rugby Series. Teamed up with Ryley Batt and Matt Mitchell, our boys donned the black and gold and showed the rugby in Perth is making a comeback.
Unfortunately Scott Joyce wasn’t able to make the trip due to injury but we are hoping he is fit and ready to suit up for round 2 in May.
The team won their first 3 games against the Victoria, QLD and NSW based teams over the first two days of competition. Unfortunately an undermanned Enforcers team was out played on the final day’s games but they boys showed well and truly that they are making steps in the right direction.
Young Guns Selected for Dubai Tournament
Western Australians Jake Kavangah, Adam Deans, Kayl Jeffrey and Nick Radovich have all been selected to play for Australia in an up coming wheelchair basketball tournament in Dubai.
The tournament will be held from 5 April through to 12 April.
Add to this that that Rod Hislop, long time referee and 2011 Volunteer of the Year for Wheelchair Sports WA, has also been selected to represent Australia at the tournament.
Rod has refereed at two Kitakyushu Champions Cup tournaments, NWBL and WNWBL for a number of years and works extremely hard for the sport and the program here in Perth.
The following athletes have been a part of our Australian Development Camp, Frank Ponta Cup and Rollers squads for the past 2 years and will form the basis of the 2013 U23 team for the World Championships.
The following athletes have been selected to be a part of the tournament:
Jordan Bartley (Brisbane)
Michael D’Amelio (Melbourne)
Adam Deans (Perth)
CJ Grogan (Sydney/Darwin)
Kayl Jeffery (Perth)
Jake Kavanagh (Perth)
Tim Mackrow (Canberra)
B Keegan Ochee (Sydney)
Tom O'Neil Thorne (Brisbane/Darwin)
Nick Radovich (Perth)
Bailey Rowland (Brisbane)
Colin Smith (Wollongong)
Head Coach: David Gould (Adelaide)
Ass. Coach: Sonia Healy (Sydney)
Physio: Ryan Campbell (Perth)
Team Manager: Pablo Jimenez (Wollongong)
Be Active Western Stars Name Captain
Ahead of the Star’s opening round of games in Sydney, the team has selected Clare Nott as the Be Active Western Stars Captain for season 2012.
With the retirement (or should we say temporary hiatus) of Mandy Bonavita, Clare steps into Mandy’s shoes, as she looks to lead the Stars deep into the latter parts of the season.
With another year playing together, we can expect Amber Merritt, Sarah Vinci, Georgia Inglis and Natalie Alexander to take another step forward with the game, while Amanda Nott has impressed regularly during the Monday Night Summer Cup.
Fans of the Be Active Western Stars will get to see the girls in action in Perth from June 1-3 as they host Sydney, North Sydney and Dandenong. Keep your eyes on the Be Active Western Star’s home page for more details.
Wheelchair Sports Facilities Audit
Wheelchair Sports WA offers a range of sporting, social and recreational opportunities for members living all over the metropolitan area. We have put together a facilities audit in order to illustrate the facilities we have used over the past 24 months, in sport, recreation and social.
Not only is Wheelchair Sports WA dedicated to offering opportunities to people living with a physical disability in the Perth Metropolitan area, but we also have a new initiative under way that is focused on providing regional opportunities.
Click to view the FacilitiesAudit
Road to London: Darren Gardiner
On target for his fourth Paralympic Games, Powerlifter Darren Gardiner, says London 2012 will be his last. Nicknamed 'Bear', due to the roar he makes in pre-competition warm up, he's a great example of a power athlete who keeps it simple and gets results.
While ‘Bear’ goes into every competition with the mentality of, ‘whatever he can lift on the day is the best that could be done, I know everyone here at Wheelchair Sports WA will be hoping the two time silver medallist is rewarded for his many years of hard work and countless hours in the gym by bringing home a well deserved Paralympic gold medal.
After what could only be described as a disastrous 2010 where Darren did not compete in any event due to injury, his 2011 season was an amazing comeback, culminating in being named Wheelchair Sports WA’s Athlete of the Year.
Bear cleaned up at the ARAFURA Games in 2011 lifting and astonishing 230kg at the event, claiming gold in the Super-Heavy weight division as well as the overall gold for all body weights and marking his return to the international powerlifting stage.
Darren then headed overseas to the Para Games in Breda, Holland with great expectations, being in the best shape of his career. Unfortunately on arrival in Europe Darren was struck down by illness which spread through the Australian team. Despite this, Darren still managed a 227kg lift to secure a gold medal for the Super-Heavy Weight division and third place overall against all body weights.
More recently, Darren has finished 4th overall at the 4th Annual International Fazza in Dubai with lifts of 221kg and 226kgs. Darren's final lift of 228kg was rules a fould by two of the three referees whioch would have given him 3rd place overall.
Currently ranked 4th in the world, Darren plans to relocate to Brisbane in the months prior to the London Games to spend more one on one time with his coach Ray Epstein.
As the London Paralympics approach, check out Darren and his thoughts in the lead up to his very last Paralympic Games.
Handcyclists in Echuca
Our biggest travelling team of Handcyclists has returned from the Echuca Round of the National Handcycling Series with a swag of medals.
Our WA team of six cyclists including Nigel Barley, Peter Allen, Craig Parsons, James Ormerod and new comers to the National Circuit Louise Mofflin and Richard Williams returned with a total of seven medals and with Nigel Barley and Craig Parsons both taking the series lead in their respective classes.
This year the National series has expanded to include a Criterion in NSW and team relays in Victoria, where WA entered two teams.
The outstanding results in Echuca follow James Ormerod’s results in NSW where he returned with two medals for his efforts in the Time Trial and Road Race.
The guys are all now preparing themselves for the Perth Round of the National Handcycling Series before an extended break before National Championships. All six of the team that went to Echuca will be riding both in Perth round and are expected to be joined by as many as 6 more Perth based handcyclists.
Congratulations to the travelling team and best of luck in the remaining National Handcycling Series Rounds.
Wheelcats on Top Early
As the London 2012 Paralympic Games approach, Be Active Perth Wheelcats Players Shaun Norris, Adam Deans and Kim Robins are using the 2012 National Wheelchair Basketball League as the perfect preparation to press their claims for a place in the Australian Wheelchair Basketball team.
Shaun tasted success with the Rollers in 2008 bringing home a Gold Medal from Beijing and is confident of Australia’s ability to defend their place as the number one ranked team in the world.
"I mean its tournament basketball and anything can happen, but you can only control what you do and we will be as prepared as we possibly can by the time that first game tips off" said Shaun Norris.
“The next six months for me are all about preparing my body for London and hopefully win another Championship with the Be Active Perth Wheelcats”
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats have sent a message to the rest of Australia this weekend by taking top spot on the National Wheelchair Basketball League Ladder after beating 2011 Champions the Wollongong Rollerhawks.
Based out of the Herb Graham Recreation Centre, the Wheelcats are the most successful team to ever play in the National Wheelchair Basketball League winning seven championships since 2002. In 2011 the Wollongong Rollerhawks broke the Wheelcats winning streak, beating the Perth team in the final to claim their first national title.
Without the services of Paralympians Justin Eveson, Brad Ness, Michael Hartnett and Clare Burzynski in 2012, the odds were stacked against the Wheelcats as Wollongong added three national players to their roster in the off season.
The 14 point win over the Wollongong team, to go along with 24 point win over Sydney and 32 point win over Dandenong is testament to the development work that goes on at Wheelchair Sports WA, headed up by Head Coach Kelvin Browner and Junior Coach Craig Bartlett.
‘The most impressive thing from the weekend’s results was the ability for us to be able to spread the load amongst the entire playing squad’ said coach Browner.
Full stats and game scores at www.nwblaus.com
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats open their home account on April 21st. To find out when you can come and see the Be Active Perth Wheelcats in action, checkout www.wheelchairsportswa.org.au.
Stars Win In Osaka
The Australian Gliders Wheelchair basketball team have taken out the Osaka Cup in Japan on Sunday, after defeating Canada in the Gold Medal game by 59-50.
Three players all finished with a team best 14 points, with Copin Crispin reeling in 8 rebounds to go with her 14 points, while Kylie Gauci and Sarah Stweart were also impressive, finishing with 14 points and 5 rebounds each, Gauci dishing off 5 assists while Stewart had 4 assists for the game.
Having beaten Canada earlier in the tournament, the Aussies were confident that they could get the job done at the business end of the tournament, but the Canadians were certainly not going to let them just waltz in and take the Cup, pushing the Aussies in the first half, the Gliders taking a slender three-point lead into the half time break.
Canada continued to push the Aussies, but the Gliders proved too strong, sealing the Osaka Cup win and another major victory for the side.
Our Be Active Western Stars players, Sarah Vinci and Amber Merritt both played major roles throughout the tournament further pushing their claims for a berth in the Gliders team for the London Paralympics.
A break-down of the Gliders successful four days at the Osaka Cup, Japan
16 February: Australia 62 defeated Canada 47
17 February: China 55 defeated Australia 53
17 February: Australia defeated Japan 75/61
18 February (Final): Australia 59 defeated Canada 50
The West Coast Fever Join Forces
As the West Coast Fever netball girls (Sarah East, Chanel Gomes and Verity Simmons) get ready for their season launch, they joined our very own Be Active Perth Wheelcats players: Adam Deans, Shaun Norris, Jake Kavanagh, Kayl Jeffery, Sam Clark, Andrew Liddawi and Kim Robins, down at the Herb Graham Recreation Centre, for some pre season promotional work.
The girls were put out of their comfort zones as they hopped in the chairs and let the boys teach them some tricks, some which were far too fancy for even the best of players to try. After a few practice laps the girls got into the swing of things and were shooting 3 pointers by the end of the session.
Ten News even headed down for the morning to capture some impressive skills and interview World All-Star5 player Shaun Norris. Interviews and shots from the morning’s events will be televised on Channel Ten News this evening. (Thursday 23rd February 2012)
Let’s hope they remember some of these skills for the 2012 Be Active Clash of the Codes, which is due to kick off at the Be Active Perth Wheelcats first home game against Brisbane’s Spinning Bullets, on Saturday April 21st.
Danny Green Visits Wheelchair Sports WA at the World Sports Expo
The Jetts Fitness World Sports Expo (WSE) was on again this past weekend at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. A dedicated team of Wheelchair Sports volunteers from a variety of sports generously gave up their time to show Western Australia what Wheelchair Sports is all about.
We were lucky enough to be visitied on the very first morning of the Expo by the former World Champion and Perth local Danny Green. Our volunteers got to hang out with the champ as he jumped in a chair and tried his hand at wheelchair basketball.
Final attendances are still being confirmed, but early estimations are that approximately 6,000 people came through the Expo in 2012 with wheelchair basketball again a highlight for many.
Visit http://www.worldsportsexpo.com.au/ for more information about the day.
Athlete of the Month: Andrew Bannister
Congratulations Andrew Bannister who is the winner of the North Beach Athlete of the Month for January. Andrew is AWD T36 WA state champion in the 100m, 200m & 400m (and the first athlete with a disability to win a club award in WA). He wins this award for always giving his best efforts and showing great team spirit.
Andrew is extremely consistent in his training work ethic and his attendance shows other team members how to properly prepare themselves for the challenging task ahead. ‘Bannerz’ pushes through most obstacles thrown in front of him and is a great inspiration for all his team mates around him.
Andrew Started with fun runs and then joined Little Athletics in 2006. He has been a member of Wheelchair Sports WA since 2008 and joined North Beach Athletics 2010. Andrew has competed for WA on 5 occasions. 2009: Australian Paralympic Youth Games (winning 2 Bronze medals) School Sports Australian Cross Country, 2010 Australian Open and AWD Championships, Australian Underage AWD Championships (winning bronze in the 200m), 2011 Australian Open and AWD Championships.
Congratulations Andrew
2012 NWBL Season Starts This Weekend
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats are set to start their 2012 campaign in Melbourne this weekend where they will take on the Dandenong Rangers, Sydney Uni and last year’s league champions the Wollongong Roller Hawks.
The cluster round is a first for the National Wheelchair Basketball League and is an initiative from Basketball Australia to increase the number of games teams play during the regular season.
The 2012 new look Be Active Perth Wheelcats will be without Justin Eveson, Brad Ness, Michael Hartnett and Clare Burzynski but welcome back Brant Garvey into the team for this season.
For live stats throughout the weekends game, check out www.nwblaus.com
The 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim
The 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim was held this Saturday (25th February 2012), at Cottesloe Beach the race was a distance of 19.7km, finishing at Thomson Bay on Rottnest Island.
There was talk before the race that it may not go ahead due to bad weather conditions, but luckily enough for the 2,300 participants that registered, the weather picked up and the swim still went on.
Athletes had the option to swim as either a solo, duo or as a part of a team. Strong Swimmer and dedicated athlete Brendon Masters flew the flag for Wheelchair Sports WA, swimming as part of a 4 man team and completing the race in 6.5 hours.
A great achievement for Brendon and his team, well done!
SCIPA (Spinal Cord Injury and Physical Activity) Full-On
Regular physical activity through upper body training is effective in improving fitness and psychological well-being in people with spinal cord injury. However there are now reports that regular and intensive activity-based therapies promote neurological improvement. These therapies include partial body-weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT), functional electrical stimulation-assisted leg exercise, and exercises to improve control of trunk and lower limb musculature. There is some evidence that these interventions may improve an individuals' ability to move and perform functional activities, however this has not been rigorously tested in a randomised controlled trial.
Full-On is a randomised controlled trial comparing the effects of a comprehensive exercise program exercising the paralysed limbs and upper body musculature with an upper body strength and fitness training program. The centres involved will be spinal units in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and New Zealand. Sir George Bedbrook Spinal Injuries Unit (Royal Perth Hospital) is the Perth spinal unit participating in this trial.
Participation in the project involves undertaking an intensive exercise program three times per week for 12 weeks and attending for assessments. Participants must be 18 years of age or over, have completed their primary rehabilitation, and will need to have medical clearance to participate.
This study has been approved by the Royal Perth Hospital Ethics Committee.
If you would like further information, or wish to participate in this project, please contact the site coordinator:
Julie Bullick
Royal Perth Hospital/Physiotherapy Department
Telephone: (08) 9382 7307
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Tipping Season Kicks Off
As the footy and horse racing seasons spring into action, so does the Senior Wheelies tipping competitions.
The tipping competitions take place throughout the year, allowing Wheelchair Sports WA members the opportunity to compete against other members, to tip the best.
The competitions are fun and easy to get involved in, with great prizes to be won.
For more information and how to register please visit the links below.
Horse Tipping (Saturday 17th March 2012 to Saturday 19th May 2012)
http://seniorwheelieswa.com/page90.php
Footy Tipping
Junior Camp 2012 set to be a Scorcher
This years Junior Camp was set to be a scorcher with temperatures soaring past 40 degrees, we were in for a hot one!! So with our sun cream and water bottles at the ready, we prepared for a weekend packed full of fun and adventure at the picturesque Point Walter Recreation Camp.
On Friday afternoon, camp members began to arrive, with bags bigger than themselves and enough snacks to feed an army, everyone settled in for the weekend.
After dinner we all meet in the conference room to tackle the Wheelchair Sports WA 2012 Junior Camp Quiz! The group was split up into five strangely named groups, as they battled it out to beat each other. With the surprise blindfold Pictionary and charades round, we managed to have a giggle at our not so great pieces of art and our surprisingly great acting skills. Three rounds down and two exciting bonus rounds later, we were all quizzed out, and headed off to bed to prepare for the day ahead.
With the mercury predicted to rise past 41 degrees on Saturday, and a morning packed full of water activities, we knew we had to be prepared for the heat.
After breakfast we all headed down to the river where we were joined by Gary Lees, Kim Ellwood and our newest board member Ross Glendinning.
The Point Walter Staff instructed us on the safety aspects of Raft Building and Paddling. Eager to get in the water and cool down, the juniors listened carefully, split into two groups and began their morning of activities. With some brave members and some very helpful individuals we all enjoyed a morning by the river.
After a hard push up the hill we headed back to camp to enjoy some lunch and an afternoon of free time. Tired and burnt out from the morning's activities everyone spent the afternoon by the pool, playing games, socialising and enjoying the freedom.
As the afternoon rolled by and everyone had turned into prunes, we got out the pool and headed to the canteen for some well earned dinner. The evening ahead was a relaxed one, while half of us sat in the cool air conned conference room (the favorite room on camp) watching a movie, the rest went for a night time swim.
After a good night's sleep and a few aching muscles, the kids packed up their things and headed to the canteen for their last breakfast on camp. With the water activities out of the way we headed to the other side of camp to be briefed on the flying fox and the all new abseiling wall.
As ever the flying fox was a great hit, with the kids hanging from their harnesses every way they could. We had some very brave jumpers, who plucked up the courage to face their fears and take the jump.
With the abseiling wall being a new activity most people were excited to have a go! With a pulley system powered by our volunteers and muscley members of the group, we hoisted most of the juniors to the top of the wall, where they took the drop with great bravery.
After the morning activities were finished, we headed back to our rooms to collect our final things and say our last good bye's, as parents came to collect everyone.
This year's camp was one to remember, everyone was so well behaved and a pleasure to look after. On behalf of Wheelchair Sports WA I would like to say a massive thank you to our amazing volunteers; Helen Herbert, Mandy Grauze, Lindsay Cumner, Amanda Simmons, Michelle Wilkinson and Mark Bannister, and the continuous support from the DCF without you none of this could be possible.
Once again I would like to say thank you to everyone who came to camp and to the Point Walter Staff for looking after us. I look forward to seeing you again next year.
To see photos from the camp please visit us on facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=oa.10150583683988586&;type=1
Nigel Barley WA's best
The Nigel Barley Show
Nigel's remarkable efforts this year have definitely not gone unnoticed, not only has he added to his achievements on the track, but he has also made a great contribution to his trophy cupboard, winning not 1, not 2 but 3 major awards; Hills Sports Star of the Year, Wheelchair Sports WA Sports Star of the Year and most recently Cycling WA's Sport Star of the Year.
These achievements are outstanding and it is a great accomplishment for disability sport that Cycling WA have recognised handcycling and Nigel's achievements, against able bodied cycling, hopefully this industry first will have an impact on not only the sport of handcycling but disability sport it's self, especially in the run up to 2012.
Amongst these achievements Nigel has also competed alongside fellow Wheelchair Sports WA handcycling members, Louise Mofflin, Richard Williams, Peter Allen, James Ormerod, Neil McDougall, Craig Parsons and Jim Cairns in The Santos Great Bike Ride and Wheelchair Sports WA Super Series 2011/12.
It is great to have such a dedicated group of handcylists competing in these races, as it builds the profile of handcycling massively and gets athletes like Nigel Barley's name out there.
Road to London: Shaun Norris
After a silver medal with the Rollers in 2004, Shaun realised his dream in 2008 when he brought home the gold in 2008. Not willing to rest on his laurels, Shaun is as determined as ever to defend Australia's place as the best wheelchair basketball team in the world and bring home his third Paralympic Medal.
Shaun is currently rated as one of the best players in the world, which was confirmed following 2010's World Championships campaign where Shaun was named in the World All-Star 5.
Having already qualified for the London Games, the next 9 months for Shaun are all about preparing himself physically and mentally for the 2012 Paralympics where he believes that the Australian Rollers are in good shape to defend their gold medal.
"I think our chance of defending our place as the number one team in the world is as good as ever."
"I mean its tournament basketball and anything can happen, but you can only control what you do and we will be as prepared as we possibly can by the time that first game tips off."
Shaun says he wouldn't be surprised if the same top four teams from the 2008 Beijing Paralympics are again fighting it out for the medals in London.
"We will definitely be the hunted in London."
"I think the USA, Canada and Great Britain will all be really tough, but even someone like Italy can really push you on their day and I wouldn't be surprised if they upset a few teams."
When asked if London would be Shaun's last Paralympic Games he said he is optimistic about his chances to go to Rio in 2016.
"As long as the passion and drive is still there I would like to go around again for sure."
Shaun will be in action for the Be Active Perth Wheelcats this season at the Herb Graham Recreation Centre. For all game times and schedules, please check www.wheelchairsportswa.org.au
World Sports Expo 2012
The Jetts Fitness World Sports Expo (WSE) is on again in 2012 with a huge range of exhibitors and sports ready to answer ALL your questions, show you the latest and greatest in equipment and apparel as well as assist with any health and wellness queries!
Our philosophy is simple 'We want to get people off the couch' and into an active sports lifestyle.
Come down and visit Wheelchair Sports at the World Sports Expo between February 10 – 12. Visit http://www.worldsportsexpo.com.au/ for more information.
Madison De Rozario's Perfect start to 2012
The 18 year old Success resident, who burst onto the international scene as a 14 year old where she won a silver medal at the Beijing Paralympics, won the race one second ahead of Great Britain's Shelley Woods.
De Rozario, who is coached by Paralympic legend Louise Sauvage, has sent a message to the rest of the world, signalling she is ready to make an impact in London where she will compete in the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m events.
The win caps off 2 weeks of racing for De Rozario in Sydney and Canberra against a strong international field featuring the Great Britain, Canadian and Swiss Paralympic teams.
Fearnely broke his own course record in his 8th consecutive Oz Day Race win in a time of 20.24, while South Australian Nathan Arkley won the junior division in a time of 23.51.
Local Sporting Champions Grants Available
Do you know a Local Sporting Champion?
Are you, or do you know, a dedicated young athlete, coach or official participating in a state or national sporting championships? Are you aged 12-18 years old travelling further than 250km return for a state or national championships?
If yes, then you or your team could be eligible for a Local Sporting Champions grant to help meet costs such as uniforms, travel, accommodation and equipment.
Grants of $500 per individual and $3,000 per team are available for young people participating in a nominated National Sporting Organisation-endorsed state or national sporting championships or a School Sport Australia national championship.
This program is an Australian Government initiative managed by the Australian Sports Commission and supports 8,000 young people each year.
The grants are designed to help athletes, coaches and officials achieve their sporting goals and are distributed across all 150 federal electorates of the national parliament.
Applications are open, so apply now!
Applications must be submitted prior to the commencement of the nominated championships.
For further information, including application forms and eligibility criteria, go to: http://www.ausport.gov.au/champions
Local Sporting Champions Grants Available (2)
Do you know a Local Sporting Champion?
Are you, or do you know, a dedicated young athlete, coach or official participating in a state or national sporting championships? Are you aged 12-18 years old travelling further than 250km return for a state or national championships?
If yes, then you or your team could be eligible for a Local Sporting Champions grant to help meet costs such as uniforms, travel, accommodation and equipment.
Grants of $500 per individual and $3,000 per team are available for young people participating in a nominated National Sporting Organisation-endorsed state or national sporting championships or a School Sport Australia national championship.
This program is an Australian Government initiative managed by the Australian Sports Commission and supports 8,000 young people each year.
The grants are designed to help athletes, coaches and officials achieve their sporting goals and are distributed across all 150 federal electorates of the national parliament.
Applications are open, so apply now!
Applications must be submitted prior to the commencement of the nominated championships.
For further information, including application forms and eligibility criteria, go to: http://www.ausport.gov.au/champions
Riding for the Disabled Opens in South West
Riding for the Diasabled Opens in South West
Riding for the Disabled Association of Western Australia (RDA WA) are excited to announce the opening of their Margaret River Branch in our South West.
Riding for the Disabled Association of Western Australia (RDA WA) is a voluntary, not for profit organisation whose primary aim is to develop the abilities and enrich the lives of people living with disabilities through the provision of therapeutic and recreational horse activities.
If you are down in the area and you are interested I would encourage you to go along and check out this fantastic organisation.
Contact details can be found at: http://www.rda.org.au/rdawa.aspx
Ho Ho Ho... Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas Everyone!
This year's Christmas party, was full of fun, laughter and a lot of dodgem racing!
Thanks to the Wonderful help of Show West and the Osborne Park Agricultural Society we were treated to endless goes on the dodgems, the ranger, the swings and much more.
For those that didn't fancy the fast and thrilling rides, managed to sit back & relax under the shade, with front row seats to the dodgems, which was definitely the favorite ride of the day.
After a hot morning down at the rides we headed up to the Osborne Park Bowls Club where we enjoyed some well needed chicken and salad sandwiches, thanks to the hard work of Annette Kavanagh for arranging the food and all the volunteers that helped serve the hungry mouths on the day.
To all the children's surprise, Wheelchair Sports WA was lucky enough to have one last special guest for the day... Santa Claus!!
Santa helped hand out presents to all the children having photos with everyone, before he had to quickly head of to the north pole!
This Christmas Party like every other was a great day out and without the help of our lovely volunteers, Show West, The Osborne Park Agricultural Society and the Osborne Park Bowls Club, the day couldn't have gone ahead, so a massive THANKYOU and MERRY CHRISTMAS from Wheelchair Sports WA.
Social Tennis Swings into Action
Bouncing Back
Social Tennis swung into action this month and has so far been a great hit!
We took over the courts at Herb Graham the past two tuesdays, with more than an impressive turn out from our Wheelchair Sports members, with 12 participants attending on the night.
Not to forget being joined by the semi famous Pete "Sam"pras (Sam Clarke) and Angelina "Joel"ie (Joel Mackenzie)
As the sunset the rallies began, with everyone enjoying a few double games, with the teams being rotated randomly and the games lasting 15 minutes, people had the chance to play and socialise with everyone, making it a great night!
If you fancy coming along for the fun, then hurry on down as we only have two weeks left! (December 6th & 13th)
For more information contact Jess at Wheelchair Sports WA on (08) 9440 4245 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Little Dribblers Set Sail
Sailability help the Little Dribblers on the water
On Sunday 13th November the Volunteers at Sailability were joined by some very excited Little Dribblers.
With the sun luckily shinning and the kids excited to hop aboard, the group quickly hit the water.
The kids were so enthusiastic about the sailing, when they were asked where they would like to sail to, Ravi answered "AFRICA"!!
Sadly we only had the morning with sailabilty which meant Africa was just that bit too far. Instead the group enjoyed their time sailing along the Swan River.
The morning was a great success and got a great big thumbs up from the kids.
Sports Awards 2011
Sports Star of the Year: All the Winners
The Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle played host to the Sports Star of the Year Awards for 2011. The red carpet was rolled out as we took the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our inspirational sporting teams and athletes and say thankyou to our amazing volunteers, supporters and staff who all play significant roles in supporting our athletes and association in 2011.
The First awards to be presented for the night were the 2011 Super Series Awards which awards athletes who have made the biggest improvements in their sport for the past 12 months with trophies and prize money. The winners of the Super Series Awards for 2011 were:
Field
3rd Luther Frost-Barnes
2nd Natalie Alexander
1st Chris Beer
Swimming
3rd Alexa De Klerk
2nd Liam Smith
1st Megan Saggers
Cycling
3rd Louise Mofflin
2nd Nigel Barley
1st James Ormerod
Track
1st Andrew Bannister
Most Valuble Player's
The team MVP awards followed which awarded both the Be Active Western Stars and Be Active Perth Wheelcats most valuable players for season 2011. After being named as high-point MVP, leading point scorer for the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League and all star 5 position, I don't think there were any surprises when Amber Merritt was named as the best for the Stars in season 2011. Amber's year also included dominant performances at the Women's U25 World Championships, playing an enormous role in guiding the Devils to a Silver medal at the inaugural tournament.
With a bundle of National Wheelchair Basketball League awards to his name this year, including selection in the all star 5, mid-point MVO and overall MVP, it was hard to go past Shaun Norris as the Be Active Perth Wheelcat's best for 2011. By Shaun Norris standards, his 2011 was not his best but he was still able to average over 24 points and 9 assists per game and was a deserving winner of the award.
Life Membership
The next major award for the evening was the presentation of the 2011 Life Membership award and there is no one more deserving of this award than this year's inductee, Wayne Robins. Despite sitting on the board and having the give final approval, the Board of WSWA was able to get Wayne's nomination and acceptance approved without his knowledge.
Wayne's time at WSWA spans more than 15 years and while he currently serves on the Board of WSWA as vice president, his achievements and contributions to the Association go far beyond that to include:
· Wheelchair Sports WA Junior Committee Chairman 2000-2009
· Volunteer of the Year for Wheelchair Sports WA 2000, 2001 and 2005
· Wheelchair Sports Australia Board Member 2004 – 2009
· WA representative on Wheelchair Sports Australia Junior Committee 2007 – 2009
· Volunteer for junior sports program, recreation and social events from 1995 – 2011
· Staff Escort for WA team at 1997 Junior National Games in Ballarat
· Team Manager, for WA team at 1999 Junior National Games in Perth, 2001 Brisbane, 2003 Adelaide, 2005 Sydney, 2007 Sydney and 2009 Melbourne.
· Team Manager, Junior National Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Ballarat 2002 and Sydney 2004.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
There is no question that WSWA's passionate and dedicated volunteers are the lifeblood of the Association nothing the Wheelchair Sports does could be possible without them. As there are every year, there were some outstanding nominees for this award, but the selection committee voted Rod Hislop as the winner of the Volunteer of the Year for 2011. In the past 12 months Rod has given an enormous amount of time and energy to the Association, running workshops for wheelchair basketball referees to introduce new referees to the sport, supporting National initiatives in the sport of wheelchair basketball by offering as many as six visiting referees during the season accommodation and transport at no cost to either WSWA or any of the National Programs. Rod's efforts have seen number increase from as little as one wheelchair basketball referee to a pool of as many as eight referees by the end of season 2011, a handful of who have been fast tracked into National Programs. Congratulations and thank you Rod for all of your tireless work during 2011.
BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
The next award to be presented was the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year award, formerly the Rookie of the Year. The Breakthrough Athlete of the Year award is presented to the athlete who has made a significant advance in their sporting career in the past year, stepping it up to the next level on their way to achieving their ultimate goal. This again was another incredibly strong category with the winner being Chris Barty for the sport of Paralympic Football. Chris has recently switched sports from wheelchair basketball to paralympic football where in the past year he has been included into the Australian Pararoos squad and was extremely unlucky to miss out on selection for the 2011 World Cup. With no WA team at Nationals, Chris did the unthinkable in 2011 and pulled on the big V to play for Victoria, keeping a clean sheet in the 3rd place playoff game medal game to secure bronze. Chris and Paralympic Football coach David Cantoni have built a Paralympic Football program here in WA now to a point where, for the first time ever, WA will be represented at the 2012 National Paralympic Football Championships.
COACH AND JUNIOR SPORTS STAR OF THE YEAR
Coach of the Year was awarded in 2011 to Louise Sauvage who coaches our very own Madison De Rozario. Despite being based in Sydney, Louise has done an outstanding job with Madi and coaches through correspondence, training camps and regular trips across the country. Under the tutelage of Louise, Madison has gone from strength to strength in the past 12 months with her list of achievements including:
· 5th place finishes at IPC World Championships in 3 events
· 4th in the 800m racing up a class at the IAAF World Championship invitational only event
· 4 gold and 1 silver at National Championships 2011
· 8 Medals in Switzerland where she posted A-Qualifying times for the London Paralympics in 4 events
· 3 Open National Records
· Current Number 1 World Ranking for the Women's T53 800m
With her list of achievements then, it came as no surprise to most when Madison was named the WSWA Junior Athlete of the Year for 2011. Madison won the award ahead of Amber Merritt and Madeleine Scott who both had stellar years. With about 10 months to go before the London Games, Madison is looking at pre-selection for the Australian Team in January if she can perform at the Summer Down Under Series.
SPORTS STAR OF THE YEAR
The final award for the evening is the big one. The Sports Star of the Year award. Every year the selection panel has tremendous difficulty selecting the winner of this and all of the awards. Comparing achievements and athletes across a variety of sports is an unenviable task and this year was no exception with the voting for this award closer than ever. The three finalists were Nigel Barley (handcycling), Madison De Rozario (athletics) and Darren Gardiner (powerlifting) and after each of the five independent selection panel committee members voted, the three athletes could not be split. On a count back the three-way tie was narrowed down to a two-way tie with the joint winners for 2011 being Nigel Barley and Darren Gardiner.
Nigel began his year like he does most, claiming his 7th National Championship in both the Road Race and Time Trial disciplines of handcycling. From there Nigel competed in a series of World Cup events in the lead up to the 2011 UCI Paracycling World Championships:
The first World Cup event was in Sydney, where amazingly Nigel crashed in the Road Race but still managed to pull himself back onto the road and finish the race with a Bronze medal, finishing only 27 seconds behind the winner. Bouncing back the following day, Nigel went one better to claim silver in the time trial behind current and reigning world champion from France Joel Jeanott.
Nigel then went to Spain to compete in round two of the UCI World Cup where he finished 6th in both the Road Race and
Time Trial before travelling to Holland for the Paracycling World Championships in the latter parts of 2011. Nigel finished 6th in the Road Race again but amazingly just 3 seconds split the first seven riders. Backing up the following day in the Time Trial, Nigel again was close to medalling, finishing in 7th place and within a minute of the winner.
Nigel's performances throughout the year have him clearly ranked as the best handcyclist in the country and he has his sights firmly on selection for the London Paralympic Games.
Darren 'The Bear' Gardiner wins this award thanks to a stellar 2011 season, which saw him win every competition he entered. Darren started the year by again wining another Australian National Championship, before taking part in the 2011 ARAFURA Games in Darwin, which also doubled as the Oceania Powerlifting Championships. Lifting and astonishing 230kg at the event, Darren claimed gold in the Super-Heavy weight division as well as the overall gold for all body weights.
Darren then headed overseas to the Para Games in Breda, Holland with great expectations, being in the best shape of his career. Unfortunately on arrival in Europe Darren was struck down by illness which spread through the Australian team. Despite this, Darren still managing a 227kg lift to secure a gold medal for the Super-Heavy Weight division and third place overall against all body weights.
After what could only be described as a disastrous 2010, where Darren did not compete in any event due to injury, his 2011 season was an amazing comeback.
Thank you to Ashley Morrison for his efforts on stage as the host of the 2011 Sports Awards.
It's not over till the 'funny' lady sings
Comedy Night @ The Charles
Now I know the saying "It's not over to the 'funny' lady sings", is not one you usually associate with COMEDY, but at The Comedy Lounge, it really isn't over until the 'funny' lady sings.
On Thursday 24th November 21 members of the Wheelchair Sports WA family headed down to The Charles Hotel, where we enjoyed a night full of food, socialising and some good old fashioned laughter.
Not only were we treated to our own reserved area, but we also had front row seats to all the acts. Which some might say was a little nerve racking, as you were in the perfect position to be dragged up on stage. Luckily enough we all got off scot-free and enjoyed the show from the comfort of our own seats.
The comedians were excellent throughout the night, especially the headline act, Janelle Koenig, who got up on staged and entertained us all, not only with her witty jokes but with what only can be described as singing comedy.
It was a awesome night, with great comedians, great people and lots of laughs.
Be sure not to miss out on the many recreational and social events Wheelchair Sports WA has to offer.
Keep your eye on the events calendar or contact Jess for further information: (08) 9440 4245 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bronze Medal Sailor Catches up with ABC
An Inspirational Story
When Daisy and Lorraine from ABC were travelling around they tend to come across some very interesting and unique people. In Norseman they met a very interesting man by the name of Mike Cull, he is a successful solo yachtsman. What's unique about Mike... Read More
The Justin Eveson Blog
La Dolce Vita
Well it has been a little while since my last blog, but this will be the first one from our new home in Rome! The first thing I want to talk about is our journey here with a 2 month old baby Hugo, over the years I have experienced many flights with the screaming baby up... Read More
Star of the Future
Remember that name
Sian has recently broken the F44 Open National high jump record with a new mark of 1.32m with the previous best standing for 30 years. On the same night Sian then went on to claim the T44 Open National long jump record by almost 20cm with a jump of 3.87m, with the previous record being set at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics. An incredible effort, not just considering her age, but also the fact that she is not fully fit and is still hampered by a serious leg injury that is limiting her training and ability to run. A gifted athlete, as she recovers, Sian will also move into some sprint events, where she hopes to claim more national records.
That’s not all either; as Sian’s talents extend beyond the track as she is also a gifted horse rider.
Remember the name, as Sian has massive potential to reach incredibly high levels and have a real impact on whatever sport she chooses.
Congratulations Sian and we look forward to seeing more of your results this season
Sports Awards Winners 2012
The 17th Annual Sports Star of the Year Awards was held at Patterson’s Stadium on Saturday 17th November. The venue was filled to maximum capacity with over 200 guests as the association celebrated what was another fantastic year for Wheelchair Sports.
The first award for the night was presented to Gordon Cowper for his outstanding efforts in fundraising for the association.
Next up were the Super Series awards:
Field
3rd- Josh Cavanagh
2nd- Luther Frost-Barnes
1st- Chris Beer
Swimming
3rd- Ben Popham
2nd- Nicole Scott
1st- Carys Munks
Cycling
3rd- Peter Allen
2nd- Craig Parsons
1st- Nigel Barley
Track
3rd- Chris Minutillo
2nd – Sian Glanney
1st- Mark Bannister
Amber Merritt won the Be Active Western Stars MVP for the second year in a row capping off a sensational year for the 19 year old. Amber led the league in scoring and was named High Point MVP in addition to earning a place in the All-Star 5.
Also for the second consecutive year Shaun Norris took out the Be Active Perth Wheelcats MVP award. Captaining the team for the first time Shaun led the team to a silver medal whilst individually he won the Mid Point MVP and selection in the NWBL All-Star 5.
The night also saw the 7th inductee to the Wheelchair Sports WA Hall of Fame. Long serving CEO and six-time Paralympian Bruce Wallrodt was honoured for his 20 years of sporting achievements. Bruce’s long list of achievements include four gold, two silver and two bronze Paralympic medals as well as nine world and six Australian records.
From 1989-90 Bruce held both WAIS and AIS scholarships. Bruce was also awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 1992 for his outstanding contribution to disability sport.
Des “Doc” Doherty has been honoured as the 19th life member of the association after more than 15 years of service to the organisation. Doc’s passion has always been junior sport and after joining with his son Shaun in 1994 Doc has volunteered at 13 National Junior Championships
Doc has previously won the Volunteer of the Year award twice in 2007-08 and was a very deserving winner of the Life membership award for 2012. In addition to this award Doc was also recognised nationally with the Lord Taverner’s Award.
Wheelchair Sports WA would like to congratulate all the award winners for 2012 and thank Pattersons Stadium for hosting the event.
Road to London: Madison De Rozario
Friday 2nd September 2011
Wheelchair Sports WA’s, Madison De Rozario is preparing herself for an assault on the 2012 London Paralympics.
Madison first took up wheelchair racing in October 2006 and since then she has made it her main goal to represent Australia in the London Paralympics for 2012. Her dream was realised 4 years early however as at 14 years of age Madison competed for Australia at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, in which she won a silver medal for the 4x 100 team relay. Impressively, Madison also made the finals in the Women’s T54 100m at Beijing to rank her among the world’s elite.
Now 17, Madison has already set A-Qualifying times in the 100m, 200m, 400m and will hopefully add relays to her schedule for the London Paralympics. Her current status in the world has her ranked 4th in the Women’s 100m, 3rd in the 200m and 4th in the 400m, so she is well poised to bring home her first individual Paralympic medal.
Madison’s last 2 years since returning from major surgery has been littered with gold. At the 2010 IWAS World Junior Games in Switzerland she won gold medals from six events and broke junior world records in the 100m, 200m and 800m.
Earlier this year, Madison De Rozario, broke the ten year Australian under 20’s record in the 800m with a record time of 2:00.76. Madison has brought home five gold medals from the five events she entered at the 2011 NSW State Championships. She also brought home a swag of medals from the Swiss Nationals earlier this year and has in the past 2 years won 10 medals at Australian National Championships.
In 2008 Madison was named the Junior Sports Star of the Year, which she says is her one of the greatest honours ever bestowed upon her. An award she also won in 2010. Madison currently holds 24 Australian, two Oceania and three Underage World records and we will all be watching with excitement when she hits the track in London in a year’s time.
You can now follow Madi on Twitter as we are inside one year until the London Paralympics. Simply click the link: http://twitter.com/#!/madiderozario and follow all her progress. Or you can check out her website at, www.madid.com.au and catch up on all the latest news and results for Madison as well as purchase exclusive Madi D merchandise.
Still Undefeated
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats are off to the perfect start in season 2011 winning a perfect 4 games from 4 appearances in July to take their season total to a perfect 7 from 7. The Wheelcats hosted both Adelaide and Sydney during July and were never in any danger in any of their 4 games.
With just 2 home games remaining against the Brisbane Spinning Bullets on the 27th and 28th of August don’t miss your chance to see the best team in all of WA sports. The Brisbane Spinning Bullets loom as a real contender in this year’s National Wheelchair Basketball League and will be a test for the Wheelcats as they play in front of their home crowd for the last time in 2011.
All the stats and results from all of the Wheelcats 2011 games can be found here: www.nwblaus.com
The Cats are away to the Sydney Wheelkings and Wollongong Rollerhawks this weekend and you can follow the love stats from their games at the www.nwblaus.com
You can now join Wheelchair Sports WA on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Simply follow the links below and follow all of the latest news and results from the world of Wheelchair Sports WA.
Busy August for the Little Dribblers
Busy August for the Little Dribblers
Friday 2nd September 2011
The Little Dribblers have had a busy Term so far in Term 3 of this year. The kids kicked off the term with face painting with some of the kids, (big and small) getting their face painted for the week’s activity.
The following two week were spent down at the WA Athletics Stadium, learning how to push a track chair and throw from a seated position. This was all in preparation for the 2011 City to Surf where we had all the kids (with their families) on the start line of the 2011 City to Surf, making up a large portion of the 42 strong Wheelchair Sports WA team.
With tennis and basketball still to come for the term, there is still plenty more fun to be had. Mark Lovell and Greg Melvin continue to do an amazing job with this group of kids, giving up their Saturday mornings to run sessions for the groups, continually being thrown in the deep end with sports they have had limited experience with. Both Greg and Mark were deserved winners of the 2010 Wheelchair Sports WA Volunteer of the Year award and can be directly attributed to the ongoing success of this program.
You can now join Wheelchair Sports WA on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Simply follow the links below and follow all of the latest news and results from the world of Wheelchair Sports WA.
On Track for Six in a Row
Friday 2nd September 2011
With just finals remaining for the Be Active Perth Wheelcats the team has all but secured their place atop the National Wheelchair Basketball League Ladder for the 6th season in a row. Wollongong will need to make up a whopping 21% in their two game series against Adelaide this weekend to secure the minor premiership.
The Wheelcats consolidated their position this past weekend against the very much improved RSL Queensland Spinning Bullets. With the services of Brad Ness, Shaun Norris and Clare Burzynski the Wheelcats won both games convincingly by an average margin of 23 points. Brisbane were without big man Bill Latham, but Spanish import Agustin Alejos-Alonso did his best to drag the Brisbane team over the line. Justin Eveson finished game one, just a single assist away from a triple-double, but more than made up for it on Sunday with 44 points, 28 rebounds and 12 assists. Kim Robins also proved a scoring threat with 17 and 18 points in the two games.
The Wheelcats are set to welcome back Brad, Shaun and Clare for the finals series which take place in Brisbane from 16-18 September.
You can now join Wheelchair Sports WA on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Simply follow the links below and follow all of the latest news and results from the world of Wheelchair Sports WA.
Be Active Western Stars Finish Top Two
Friday 2nd September 2011
The Be Active Western Stars have also wrapped up their minor round games in the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League finishing in second place behind the league’s dominant team, the Dandenong Rangers. The Stars have only dropped games to Dandenong and remain undefeated against the rest of the league in season 2011.
The girls were in Sydney and Brisbane during August to round out their season before September’s finals series. Amber Merritt looms as the likely key to the Western Stars in September leading the league in both scoring (24.0 points per game) and rebounds (14.3 per game). Clare Burzynski’s on court leadership on court will also be important for our girls. She averages 8 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds per game and plays an important on and off court role with the Western Stars.
For all of the scores, results and stats from the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League for season 2011, please check out the league website on: http://www.wnwbl.basketball.net.au/
Best of Luck to the Be Active Western Stars as they compete in the 2011 finals series from 23-25 September.
You can now join Wheelchair Sports WA on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Simply follow the links below and follow all of the latest news and results from the world of Wheelchair Sports WA.
Wheelcats Perfect Start to the Season
The Be Active Perth Wheelcats have started their 2011 campaign in a winning fashion. The team, who will be looking for their sixth consecutive National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL) Championship this years is a perfect 3 wins from 3 games after following up a 100-81 home victory against last year’s grand finalists the Wollongong Rollerhawks with a clean sweep of their Dandenong series.
Exactly 7 days following their season opener at Herb Graham the Be Active Perth Wheelcats hit the floor in Dandenong to record a 60 point win on Saturday, only to be backed up by a 47 point win in Sunday’s game.
For photos from the weekend visit: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.10150229095448586
A 52-21 point first half set up the win for the Wheelcats on the Saturday night with the whole travelling team managing to hit the score sheet. Justin Eveson (27 points, 17 rebounds, 9 assists) led the way with Shaun Norris (24 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) not far behind him. Back from his recent season in Barcelona, Kim Robins impressed with 20 points, shooting at 82% while superstar of the future Nick Radovich chimed in with 17 points of his own.
The Cats again go off to a flying start on Sunday with a 57-30 first half before taking their foot off the pedal to cruise to a 47 point win. Justin Eveson was again just 1 assists shy of a triple double with 38 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Kim Robins again was damaging on the scoreboard with 25 points.
After a week off now the top of the ladder Be Active Perth Wheelcats return to Herb Graham this weekend for a 2 game series against the Adelaide Thunder. Fans of the Wheelcats don’t forget to join number 1 ticket holder Ernie Dingo and join the Be Active Wheelcats Supporters Club for 2011.
You can now join Wheelchair Sports WA on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Simply follow the links below and follow all of the latest news and results from the world of Wheelchair Sports WA.
Update From Weymouth
Wednesday July 6 2011
Rachael Cox and I (Jamie Dunross) had set the goal of getting top four so we are well on target with a third-place in our first international regatta together. We had a great start to the regatta and handled the extreme conditions well, most days were between 12 to 16° and anything from 10 to 25 knots of wind.
“The Black Douglas” our new Skud 18 performed very well and the regatta was an excellent warm-up for the IFDS worlds which start about the second of July. We had a few days off after the first regatta and have now gone into an intensive training programme in a whole range of weather conditions, working on boat handling and my helming skills. Every hour where on the water we improve as a team and are very positive about the next regatta. Rachael did a TV interview at the end of the Sail for Gold giving Royal Perth Yacht Club a well deserved mention.
Finally on behalf of both of us I would like to thank Jay McFarlane for coming over to support us, without his help we definitely wouldn't have got the result that we did at the previous regatta. Nothing was too hard for Jay and he smoothed the waters as we integrated into the Australian sailing team. I could go on all day about what Jay did for us...... his advice and friendship was worth its weight in gold! Thank you Jay!!!!
Stars in Second at Halfway Point
After dropping just 1 game during the opening round of the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) in Dandenong, the Be Active Western Stars were keen to put on a good show in front of their home crowd this past weekend in round 2 of the WNWBL.
The Girls cruised through their opening three fixtures against the North Sydney Bears, Sydney Uni Flames and Queensland Comets before fronting up to league leaders the Dandenong Rangers for the final game of the round. Despite the Dandenong consisting of 6 current Australian Gliders players the Be Active Western Stars really pushed the Rangers hard to eventually go down by 8 points in an arm wrestle. In the end Dandenong just had too many scoring options for the Stars to handle.
The results are encouraging for Stars fans with Amber Merritt demonstrating all weekend why she has been called the next big thing in women’s wheelchair basketball. The 18 year old scored at an average of 23 points per game over the weekend to continue to lead the league in scoring. Amber also averaged a massive 17 rebounds per game to really assert herself as one of the dominant players in the WNWBL.
The two able bodied Stars in the line up helped provide some high point support with Sonja Mohnen scoring just over 9 points and 7 rebounds per game and Amanda Nott also chipping in to average 7 points and 7 rebounds per game for the weekend.
Clare Burzynski led front the front all weekend shouldering the bulk of the workload, carrying the ball to average 8 assists per game which doesn’t include the space and gaps she was able to create for the high pointers. Clare, along with Sarah Vinci, Georgia Inglis and Natalie Alexander were all able to pick opposition defences apart, allowing the likes of Amber, Sonja and Amanda to roll inside the keyway and take relatively unchallenged shots.
It would also be remiss of me not to mention Mandy Bonavita. So often a cool head under pressure, Mandy’s leadership amongst the group is one of the reasons the women’s program here in Western Australia is in such good shape. The development of players like Sarah Vinci, Georgia Inglis, Natalie Alexander and Amber Merritt over the past 12 months has been really impressive and a credit to coach John Triscari and the leadership of senior players Mandy Bonavita and Clare Burzynski. Wheelchair basketball fans in Perth have plenty to look forward to in the coming years.
The Be Active Western Stars currently sit in outright second, a clear 2 games ahead of the third placed North Sydney Bears. The girls travel to Brisbane in August for round 3 of the WNWBL and another crack at league leaders the Dandenong Rangers.
Wheelchair Sports WA would like to thank the Department of Sport and Recreation for their support through the hosting National Events Program. The State Government through the Department of Sport and Recreation and Lotterywest is a major supporter of the Wheelchair Sports WA and the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League in Western Australia. Sport and recreation builds stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities.
All the photos will be available in the coming days on Wheelchair Sports WA's Facebook page so click below and become a fan.
The Making of a Powerlifter
Paralmypic Powerlifting coach Coach Scott Upston was in town to help Wheelchair Sports WA run a Come n Try day for a few budding powerlifters. Thanks to the support of the Australian Paralympic Committee, Scott, with the help of Darren Gardiner, ran a half day session for Wheelchair Sports Members who were keen to learn the subtleties of the sport.
While we only had three members show up to see if they could be the next big thing in Powerlifting, Scotty was impressed with what he saw. Former Wheelcats Nang Nguyen and Ben Wright were impressive and definitely caught the eye of Scotty while Andrew Liddawi who is a current member of the Wheelcats squad showed his all around athletic ability.
Scotty ran the boys through a technical session more so than a full weight/training session and was conscious of putting too much weight on the bar or pushing the boys too hard. Even so, check out the video below of Ben Wright and have a look at the ease he is able to throw up the 60kgs on the bar.
Wheels are Turning: Rugby Back on Track
With the National Wheelchair Rugby League finished for another season, that’s doesn’t mean our WA boys have slowed down. The Enforcers have not competed in the National League since 2009 and have Peter Howden now at the helm, driving the boys forward with the hope of getting the team back and competing against Australia’s best in the very near future.
The Wheelchair Rugby program has recently picked up two new players in Sam Buhagiar and Zeb Gibson and the boys have breathed new life into the program, both having the talent and natural ability to make their career’s in rugby very long and successful. Add to the group Aaron Camm who joined the fold last year and Scotty Joyce who has been away for some time and the wheelchair rugby program is starting to gain some momentum. Leading the new guys on court is Nick Peters who has returned from a season in the National League with the Adelaide Sharks who won bronze.
http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-8380-0-0-0
At the helm is veteran Peter Howden and with the new crop of players, the rugby program seems to have really turned the corner here in WA.
If your interested in coming down and having a go at wheelchair rugby, the guys are more than happy to have new players join the group at any stage. Training and fitness sessions take place on Tuesday nights with games on Thursday nights. Please contact Joel Mackenzie for more details: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 9440 4245.
You can now join Wheelchair Sports WA on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Simply follow the links below and follow all of the latest news and results from the world of Wheelchair Sports WA.
NWRL Round 3 Wrap Up
With the National Wheelchair Rugby League finished for another season, that’s doesn’t mean our WA boys have slowed down. The Enforcers have not competed in the National League since 2009 and have Peter Howden now at the helm, driving the boys forward with the hope of getting the team back and competing against Australia’s best in the very near future.
The Wheelchair Rugby program has recently picked up two new players in Sam Buhagiar and Zeb Gibson and the boys have breathed new life into the program, both having the talent and natural ability to make their career’s in rugby very long and successful. Add to the group Aaron Camm who joined the fold last year and Scotty Joyce who has been away for some time and the wheelchair rugby program is starting to gain some momentum. Leading the new guys on court is Nick Peters who has returned from a season in the National League with the Adelaide Sharks who won bronze.
http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-8380-0-0-0
At the helm is veteran Peter Howden and with the new crop of players, the rugby program seems to have really turned the corner here in WA.
If your interested in coming down and having a go at wheelchair rugby, the guys are more than happy to have new players join the group at any stage. Training and fitness sessions take place on Tuesday nights with games on Thursday nights. Please contact Joel Mackenzie for more details: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 9440 4245.
You can now join Wheelchair Sports WA on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Simply follow the links below and follow all of the latest news and results from the world of Wheelchair Sports WA.
BE ACTIVE Clash of the Codes
Wednesday June 15 2011
During half time of every Be Active Perth Wheelcats home game this season, athletes from various sporting codes around the state will take part in a wheelchair obstacles course in the Clash of the Codes. Wheelcats captain Justin "Stig" Eveson has tested the course andclocked a time of 21.33 seconds. Who will win the Clash of the Codes for Season 2011 and will any of WA's best athletes be able to compete with the Wheelcats captain?
Shooters at National Championships Trophy
WheelCatsThe Perth Wheelcats are Wheelchair Sports WA's representatives in the National Wheelchair Basketball League. In the past 7 years since the Cats joined the NWBL in 2001 they have had an outstanding short history winning 3 national titles in that time. Their first title came in 2002 under Coach Max Bovey and proved that the Wheelcats would become a force to reckon with.
In 2004 Ben Ettridge took over as head coach with Paralympian and father Len Ettridge acting as assistant coach. The team began to build and in 2005 lost in the final to the West Sydney Razorbacks. Determined not to let that happen again the Cats rebounded and went on to lose only one game in 2006, netting them their second National Championship. 2007 saw the cats maintained their form finishing the year with a perfect record including a second consecutive Championship hosted on their home court at Herb Graham Recreation Centre in Mirrabooka. The 2007 season also included the Kitakyushu Champions Cup which pitted the best national league sides from all around the world against each other. The Cats went through undefeated and were crowned the best club team in the world.
wheelchair sports
Wednesday July 6 2011
After dropping just 1 game during the opening round of the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) in Dandenong, the Be Active Western Stars were keen to put on a good show in front of their home crowd this past weekend in round 2 of the WNWBL.
The Girls cruised through their opening three fixtures against the North Sydney Bears, Sydney Uni Flames and Queensland Comets before fronting up to league leaders the Dandenong Rangers for the final game of the round. Despite the Dandenong consisting of 6 current Australian Gliders players the Be Active Western Stars really pushed the Rangers hard to eventually go down by 8 points in an arm wrestle. In the end Dandenong just had too many scoring options for the Stars to handle.
The results are encouraging for Stars fans with Amber Merritt demonstrating all weekend why she has been called the next big thing in women’s wheelchair basketball. The 18 year old scored at an average of 23 points per game over the weekend to continue to lead the league in scoring. Amber also averaged a massive 17 rebounds per game to really assert herself as one of the dominant players in the WNWBL.
The two able bodied Stars in the line up helped provide some high point support with Sonja Mohnen scoring just over 9 points and 7 rebounds per game and Amanda Nott also chipping in to average 7 points and 7 rebounds per game for the weekend.
Clare Burzynski led front the front all weekend shouldering the bulk of the workload, carrying the ball to average 8 assists per game which doesn’t include the space and gaps she was able to create for the high pointers. Clare, along with Sarah Vinci, Georgia Inglis and Natalie Alexander were all able to pick opposition defences apart, allowing the likes of Amber, Sonja and Amanda to roll inside the keyway and take relatively unchallenged shots.
It would also be remiss of me not to mention Mandy Bonavita. So often a cool head under pressure, Mandy’s leadership amongst the group is one of the reasons the women’s program here in Western Australia is in such good shape. The development of players like Sarah Vinci, Georgia Inglis, Natalie Alexander and Amber Merritt over the past 12 months has been really impressive and a credit to coach John Triscari and the leadership of senior players Mandy Bonavita and Clare Burzynski. Wheelchair basketball fans in Perth have plenty to look forward to in the coming years.
The Be Active Western Stars currently sit in outright second, a clear 2 games ahead of the third placed North Sydney Bears. The girls travel to Brisbane in August for round 3 of the WNWBL and another crack at league leaders the Dandenong Rangers.
Wheelchair Sports WA would like to thank the Department of Sport and Recreation for their support through the hosting National Events Program. The State Government through the Department of Sport and Recreation and Lotterywest is a major supporter of the Wheelchair Sports WA and the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League in Western Australia. Sport and recreation builds stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities.
All the photos will be available in the coming days on Wheelchair Sports WA's Facebook page so click below and become a fan.
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