Jannik Blair

Started: He began playing wheelchair basketball in 2005 at age 13 in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. "Actually I got involved in wheelchair basketball or was first exposed to wheelchair basketball before I had my car accident. I was about 10 years old and there was a local wheelchair basketball team in the town where I lived, and they came and did an exhibition at my school. The team came and showed us wheelchair basketball, and I remember getting in the chair, playing and really enjoying the sport. So, when I had my car accident on the farm two years later and broke my back, I was already aware of wheelchair basketball, which made the transition period so much easier." (RSV Lahn-Dill Facebook page, 24 Mar 2022; Athlete, 10 May 2016) Reason: He attended an Australian Paralympic Committee [APC] talent search day in Ballarat, VIC, Australia, and decided to take the sport seriously from then on. "I tried a few other sports like table tennis, swimming, wheelchair athletics, but as fun as they were, they just didn't appeal to me as much. I think the team aspect of wheelchair basketball was what really excited me and motivated me." (RSV Lahn-Dill Facebook page, 24 Mar 2022; vis.org.au, 15 Nov 2011) Awards: He was selected for the All Star team at the 2019 Euroleague 1 Finals. (iwbf.org, 01 May 2019) He was named the 2011 Wheelchair Basketball Player of the Year by Basketball Victoria in Australia. (mailtimes.com.au, 05 Jul 2012) Additional Info: FURTHER EDUCATION He has studied international business at the University of Missouri in the United States of America. (Facebook profile, 23 Oct 2018; australia.basketball, 16 Aug 2018)