Andrew Edmondson OAM
Wheelchair Rugby Player
Andrew Edmondson spent his childhood living and breathing sport, at the age of 13 a surfing accident changed the course of his life.
Having struggled to come to terms with his disability and not knowing what his future would hold without playing rugby, Andrew says the introduction of wheelchair sport while in rehabilitation motivated him to heal and move on from his accident.
A decade after attending a Come and Try Day in 2004, Andrew is captain of the NSW state rugby team and has cemented himself as an up-and-comer in the Steelers squad.
Nicknamed ‘Edmo’ by his friends, Andrew made a stellar debut for Australia in 2014 in a friendly game series against the USA in Birmingham, Alabama and is on track to selection for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Having graduated from the Australian College of Physical Education with a Bachelor of Sports Business, Andrew hopes to one day run his own business while balancing a thriving career as a wheelchair rugby athlete.
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David Hall OAM
Wheelchair Tennis Player
A few years after a car accident in 1986 David discovered wheelchair tennis through a chance encounter with Terry Mason, a local wheelchair tennis player.
This reignited a passion that David had for tennis as a young boy which propelled him on a 15 year professional career that resulted in winning over 80 tournaments, including 9 Australian Opens, 8 US Opens, 7 British Opens and 6 Paralympic medals including the Gold for the Men’s Singles at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.
At the end of this illustrious career David was inducted into the Sport Australia, Australian Tennis and International Tennis Hall of Fame.
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Louise Sauvage OAM
Wheelchair Racer & Coach
Louise Sauvage is a National Wheelchair Track and Road Coach for the NSW Institute of Sport and a champion in her own right. The winner of nine Gold and four Silver medals from four Paralympic Games, she has been recognised for her outstanding athleticism and extraordinary success as a wheelchair track and road athlete.
One of Australia’s most successful athletes, Louise has changed the perception of elite athletes with a disability and the sports they compete in. She has helped create awareness and acceptance of disability in general.
A fascinating speaker, Louise’s story is unforgettable, inspiring and highly educational for audiences from all walks of life.
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Eliza Stankovic-Mowle
Wheelchair Racer
Once an athlete, always an athlete.
Eliza Stankovic (previously - Ault-Connell) knew she had unfinished business on the athletics track. From 2002 through 2008, Eliza competed in wheelchair track events - mainly 800m - at state, national, Commonwealth, World and Paralympic level.
Then, after a ten year sporting hiatus to raise three children, the track sirens have lured her back. A stunning silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Queensland has provided the impetus to train harder.
At the 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympics, Eliza's second Summer Paralympics, she came 8th in the 100m, 7th in the 400m and 13th in the Marathon. A clear focus continues to drive Eliza forward and gives her the opportunity to show her kids what we all know - that mums can do anything.
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Branka Pupovac
Wheelchair Tennis Player
Branka Pupovac first began competing in international wheelchair tennis tournaments in 1996, and in 1998 she had a breakthrough year, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, winning the US Open consolation draw and advancing to the final of the British Open consolation draw.
In 1999 she paired with Daniela Di Toro to take out the World Team Cup for Australia and achieved the No.9 doubles ranking. Branka had another great year in 2000, finishing runner-up in the consolation draws at the Australian Open and French Open, a career-high singles ranking of No.12, and achieving a doubles silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics.
Branka is a passionate mum with great stories to tell and is very personable and relatable in all her interactions.
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Luke Bailey
Wheelchair Racer
Luke Bailey, who has caudal regression syndrome and spina bifida, first began competing in Para-Athletics after an introduction to wheelchair racing great Kurt Fearnley. From the moment that Luke sat in Kurt’s racing chair, he was sold.
Luke finished third in his men’s 100m T54 semi-final at the World Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland, to automatically qualify for the final, and placed seventh in the final.
With his ultimate goal in sport being to win a Paralympic medal over 100m, Luke has a long way to go, but he is called the ‘Start King’ for a reason, and with the support of some of the best in Paralympic sport, he looks set for a long and successful career in wheelchair racing.
Luke is a humble and personable young athlete who will inspire all in his presence.
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Christie Dawes
Wheelchair Racer
After competing internationally for more than two decades, wheelchair racer Christie Dawes has rightfully earned a reputation for being one of the fiercest competitors in the game.
She first became eligible to compete in Paralympic sport as a 10-year-old, when – just 11 months after her dad had taken his own life – she became a paraplegic in a car accident. It was a horror couple of years for Christie’s little family of three, and only through the boundless support of her mum, Roslyn, did Christie go on to make her Paralympic debut in 1996.
24 years and six Paralympic Games have since passed, and in that time, Christie achieved three Paralympic podiums – two silver, one bronze – and two world titles from the 1998 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships.
Christie has had 2 children, her son, 10 year old Charlie, and her daughter 3 year old Sophie with husband and coach Andrew Dawes. Incredibly, Christie returned to the track just two months after Charlie was born in stellar form, and the following year, won her only major individual medal to date, bronze in the women’s 5000m T54 at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
At 41, Christie put her teaching career on hold to compete the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics held in 2021, coming 8th in the Marathon.
Christie loves to communicate with and inspire people through her personal story.
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Nick Taylor
Wheelchair Basketball Player
A native of South Africa, Nick grew up in a sports obsessed family of four siblings. Although he enjoyed a wide range of sporting pursuits, his true passion was basketball, in which he represented South Africa from a young age.
In 1998, just after he finished high school, Nick was involved in a serious car accident that left him paralysed from the waist down.
After many months of hospitals and rehab, Nick learnt to cope with the physical challenges of his new life as a paraplegic. Nick decided to undertake a Bachelor of Business Science in Cape Town, including spending a year on a wheelchair basketball scholarship at the University of Texas.
Going from strength to strength, Nick then secured a role with a leading international management-consulting firm in Johannesburg and got back to representing South Africa, playing wheelchair basketball in both the World Championships and the Paralympics.
In 2006 Nick immigrated to Australia to build a brighter future for himself in Sydney. He became an Australian citizen in order to represent Australia in Wheelchair Basketball. He did so at the highest level by playing in the London Paralympics in 2012, winning a silver medal and two years later in Korea, he and his team would be crowned World Champions!
Nick’s life is incredibly busy juggling a demanding corporate career, training and being a husband and dad.
Nick is an excellent speaker with a huge wealth of knowledge who is sure to inspire.
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Jake Lappin
Wheelchair Racer
Jake Lappin is one of Australia’s premier wheelchair racers.
He first made his presence felt internationally at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, where he was one of three Australians to qualify for the men’s 1500m T54 final.
In London, Jake placed seventh in his heat of the men’s 800m T54 and went on to achieve selection to the Australian teams for the 2013 and 2015 World Championships.
Jake won a bronze medal in front of a home crowd at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and won the GIO Aus Day 10K in 2021.
Jake will entertain participants with his story.
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Ryley Batt OAM
Wheelchair Rugby Player
With four Paralympic Games already under his belt, Ryley Batt is one of the best and most experienced players in the Australian wheelchair rugby team. Although Ryley was born with limb deficiency which left him with no legs and only a few fingers on each hand, he has never let this stop him in life.
As a child Ryley thought wheelchairs were for disabled people. He scooted around with his friends on a skateboard until age 11 when a wheelchair rugby demonstration at school finally convinced him to use a wheelchair. He hasn’t looked back since. By 12 he was in the NSW Wheelchair Rugby Team, and by 13 in the Australian National Team. At the Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004, Ryley became the youngest ever wheelchair rugby Paralympian at just 15.
Off the court, Ryley has begun to forge a career as an in-demand public and motivational speaker, inspiring such diverse audiences as attendees at leadership, business and economic conferences and youth summits.
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Paul Nunnari
Wheelchair Racer
Paul Nunnari (also known as "the other Superman") is an inspiration and sends a clear message of hope and courage to anyone in his presence.
Paul represented Australia in the 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney and the 2004 Athens Paralympic games, winning Silver for Australia in the 2000. Paul was grand finalist on Australia’s Got Talent TV Show in 2013 for his amazing aerial acrobatics routine and recently set a new Guinness World Record for the most 360 degree rope rotations in a wheelchair hanging by one arm in 1 minute, in 2018 Paul then broke his own record with a total of 77 spins!
Paul returned to the Oz Day 10K race in 2020, winning the Masters category and placing seventh overall. It was a triumphant return for Paul who last competed in 2009.
If this isn’t enough, Paul also does an annual school to school wheelchair push to help fight cancer.
Paul is an excellent public speaker and advocate for people with disabilities.
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Gerry Hewson OAM
Wheelchair Basketball Player
Gerry is one of Australia’s most recognisable Paralympians in the sport of Wheelchair Basketball.
It wasn’t long after he picked up a basketball, he was selected as a member of the Australian Men’s National Wheelchair team in 1986 for the Stoke Mandeville International games where the Rollers won Gold.
He won the first-ever senior men’s Gold medal for Australia during the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, for which he received a Medal of the Order of Australia.
Following his playing days, Gerry changed his focus to coaching numerous national teams and in 2002 was named Assistant Coach of the Gliders, the Australian Women’s National Wheelchair team who came in third at the 2002 Gold Cup. Succeeding as Head Coach the following year, he coached the team to a Silver medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens and to the Bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.
During this time, Gerry also began his coaching career in the NWBL as Head Coach of the West Sydney Razorbacks from 2004 to 2006 guiding them to the championships.
Gerry was also named as the Head Coach for the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League’s Sydney Uni Wheelkings and Women’s Under 25 National Wheelchair Basketball team in 2011.
As one of Australia’s most successful Wheelchair Basketball athletes and coaches, and life member and Hall of Fame Class member of the National Wheelchair Basketball League, it goes without saying that Gerry has many great stories to tell.
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Rheed McCracken
Wheelchair Racer
Rheed McCracken was born with cerebral palsy and is classified T34 in Wheelchair Racing.
A chance meeting with David Koch from Sunrise gave Rheed the opportunity to fly to Sydney and meet Kurt Fearnley who would show him the amazing sport of Wheelchair Racing.
Since this meeting, with all the ups and downs that come along with sport Rheed has been able to compete all around the world including the London 2012 Paralympic Games , Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Across the 3 Paralympics Rheed won 3 silver medals in the men’s T34 100m, Bronze in the 200m in London and Bronze in the 800m in Rio.
Furthermore, Rheed competed in 4 World Para Athletics Championships with 7 medals to his name.
Rheed will inspire and entertain with his story of ups, downs, and triumph.
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Kylie Gauci
Wheelchair Basketball Player
Kylie Gauci has many achievements.
In the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, she won Silver, in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing she won bronze, and the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London she won a second silver medal.
Kylie also represented Australia at the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 & 2018 World Championships, and was named in the World All Star 5 at the World Championships in Amsterdam in 2006.
Currently playing with the Sydney Metro Blues Women, Kylie was named the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League’s Most Valuable Player, 2 Pointer on 9 consecutive occasions and named to the All Star Five on 17 consecutive occasions.
Gauci has also played previously for the Hills Hornets & Stacks Goudkamp Bears.
With 255 international games under her belt, and more to come, Kylie has some great insight to share.
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Sarah Stewart
Wheelchair Basketball Player
Sarah Stewart is a three-time Paralympian and multiple Paralympic medallist, having served as a key member of the Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team, the Gliders, since 2003.
Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Philosophy and Cognitive Science.
While competing, Sarah taught secondary school philosophy and mathematics, tutored in philosophy and logic at a number of universities, and lectured in philosophy at the University of NSW.
As a vocal and passionate member of the Australian sporting community, Sarah sits on various boards and committees.
Sarah has served on the NSW State Government’s Sporting Injuries Committee, is the Team Manager and Assistant Coach of the Sydney Uni Flames wheelchair basketball team, and designs and manages mentoring programs.
Sarah is passionate and knowledgeable in many areas and is sure to inspire and motivate your team.
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