The Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association is the peak body for sport, recreation and fitness for people with a physical disability or

vision impairment Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

in the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n state of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. The

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organisation's mission was 'to enhance the lives of people with a disability through community engagement and education, sport and healthy activity', and was changed after 2019 to 'Engage, empower and develop people with a disability to live a more healthy, active and fulfilled life of their choosing'. It supports people with a range of disabilities including

acquired brain injury Acquired brain injury (ABI) is brain damage caused by events after birth, rather than as part of a genetic or congenital disorder such as fetal alcohol syndrome, perinatal illness or perinatal hypoxia. ABI can result in cognitive, physical, ...

amputation Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indi ...

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensa ...

multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...

muscular dystrophy Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases that cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ as to which muscles are primarily affe ...

spina bifida Spina bifida (Latin for 'split spine'; SB) is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord during early development in pregnancy. There are three main types: spina bifida occulta, me ...

spinal cord injury A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cor ...

, other

neuromuscular A neuromuscular junction (or myoneural junction) is a chemical synapse between a motor neuron and a muscle fiber. It allows the motor neuron to transmit a signal to the muscle fiber, causing muscle contraction. Muscles require innervation t ...

and

orthopaedic Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

conditions, and

(partial or total vision loss). The organisation's sports programs and services encourage participation from social level through to elite competition such as the

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

. The organisation's headquarters is in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, about September 2020, moving from 60 Edmondstone Road, Bowen Hills, to 30 Dover Street, Albion. There were offices in

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

Mackay Mackay may refer to: *Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives Mackay may also refer to: Places Australia * Mackay Region, a local government area ** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region *** Mackay Airpor ...

and

Central Queensland Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland ( a state in Australia) that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton. The region extends from the Capricorn Coas ...

Governance

Under the association’s constitution, the general control and management of the administration of Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association is by a board of six. An advisory council of Queensland business and community leaders meets on a regular basis to advise and assist the Board in the development and implementation of association policies. Five-time Paralympian and coach Ray Epstein was the chief executive officer of the association from 1998 to December 2016.

History

The association has its origins in the 1960s as a small sports club within the Paraplegic Welfare Association in Queensland. Sport for people with spinal cord injuries was gaining popularity following the first

in Rome in 1960, and the 'Queensland Sports and Social Club for the Disabled' played an active role in promoting disability sport and raising funds for Queensland athletes selected for national and international competitions. In 1977, the club became a registered charity in its own right as the

Paraplegic Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural ...

and

Quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or t ...

Sport Association of Queensland. By the following year, the association had extended its programs and services to include people with physical disabilities other than spinal cord injuries. The decision was made to change to the current name to reflect the association's broader mission and capitalise on the popular term 'sporting wheelies' to describe wheelchair athletes. The association also works with national bodies such as the

Sport Australia The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is the Australian Government commission responsible for supporting and investing in sport in Australia. The Commission incorporates the Australian Institute of Sport. From 2018 to 2022, it was known as S ...

and the

Paralympics Australia Paralympics Australia (PA) previously called the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) (1998–2019) is the National Paralympic Committee in Australia for the Paralympic Games movement. It oversees the preparation and management of Australian te ...

Notable Paralympians

* Ashley Adams *

Rene Ahrens Rene Ahrens from Queensland is an Australian Paralympic athlete and wheelchair basketballer. At the 1980 Arnhem Paralympics, he won a bronze medal in the Men's Discus 5 event and participated in the Australia men's national wheelchair basket ...

* Greg Ball * Brendan Burkett * Lyn Coleman * Cameron de Burgh * Stephen Eaton *

Amanda Fraser Amanda Fraser (born 10 November 1981 in Emerald, Queensland) is an Australian Paralympic athlete and swimmer. She has cerebral palsy and competes in the F37 category for the physically impaired. Competing in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Summer Par ...

* Darren Gardiner * Marayke Jonkers * Adrian King * Warren Lawton * Karni Liddell *

Alison Mosely Alison Mosely (born 17 August 1972 in Warwick, Queensland) is a wheelchair basketball player from Australia. She was part of the silver medal-winning Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. She wa ...

Mike Nugent Michael Nugent (born March 2, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Ohio State University, and was twice recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round o ...

* Christopher Scott * Brooke Stockham *

Darren Thrupp Darren Brian Thrupp, OAM (born 6 December 1966) is an Australian Paralympic athlete competing mainly in category T37 sprint events. He has won nine medals at six Paralympics. Biography Thrupp was born in the Queensland town of Kilcoy. He acqu ...

* Geoff Trappett * Rachael Watson Association members inducted into the Queensland Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame have included Robert McIntyre (1996),

(1996), Beryl Ahrens (1996), Kevin Bishop (1996), Fred Nitz (1996),

(1996), Mathew Le Busque (2001), and Adrian King (2003).

Services

Member services include financial support to participate in representative sporting events and training camps; junior development squads for young athletes; social sporting competitions; subsidised recreational activities; and fitness and rehabilitation services through its Brisbane gym. The organisation also works with partners in disability services, the public sector and sporting bodies to promote inclusion and increase participation of people with a disability in sport and active recreation.

References

External links

* {{official website, http://www.sportingwheelies.org.au/ Parasports organisations in Australia Organisations based in Queensland Cerebral palsy organizations Sports organizations established in 1977