Frank de Jong

Started: He began the sport at age 19 in 2004 with the Arrows '81 club in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (groothellevoet.nl, 07 Aug 2023; Athlete, 10 Jul 2016) Reason: He achieved the rank of brown belt in judo before injuring his spinal cord in a scooter accident at age 18. He took up wheelchair basketball as part of his rehabilitation. "After the accident I didn't want to sit still, but wanted to do something. During my rehabilitation in the Rijndam rehabilitation centre in Rotterdam, the wheelchair users were training for a European championship or a World Cup. I asked if I could join the training." (groothellevoet.nl, 07 Aug 2023; Athlete, 10 Jul 2016) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (groothellevoet.nl, 07 Aug 2023)