James McQuillan

Started: He began playing wheelchair rugby in 2021. (theguardian.com, 12 Oct 2022) Reason: He had noticed informal wheelchair rugby matches taking place at Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Later, in 2021, he played the sport formally for the first time by filling in at a local competition. He was spotted at the competition by players from the Australian national team, who invited him to come and train with them. (theguardian.com, 12 Oct 2022) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (paralympic.org.au, 20 Jun 2023) Additional Info: RAPID RISE Having played the sport competitively for the first time in 2021, the following year he was part of the Australian team that won gold at the 2022 World Championship in Vejle, Denmark. When he was younger he played Australian rules football. "There are some crossovers with footy, in terms of positioning on the field and blocking for other people. Sometimes I'm not where I'm supposed to be, just because I'm new and still learning. They've been really good at teaching me where I need to go. There's so many different scenarios in rugby that are foreign to me, so it's taken a bit to get on top of. I've managed to get to a point where I feel really, really happy with how things are. Being able to return to competitive sport and play at the highest level has been a great challenge but without a doubt one of the highlights of this journey has been the people I have met and the connections I have made." (news.anz.com, 25 Jul 2023; Instagram profile, 22 Oct 2022; theguardian.com, 12 Oct 2022)