Mason Symons

Reason: "In 2012, I was invited to a military appreciation/developmental camp. This was happening at the same time the 2012 London Paralympic [wheelchair rugby] training squad was prepping for the big show. Some of the guys from the squad came up to me and said, 'If you are serious about this, you have to look yourself in the mirror and ask if this is what you want. You have to lose weight, sharpen yourself mentally, start training, move to a place where you could learn to be independent and on a team you can compete at a high level'. So, I went home and packed. A few weeks later I moved across the country to Austin, Texas." (Facebook profile, 18 Dec 2023) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Facebook profile, 25 Nov 2023)