Headercolor: | green |
Textcolor: | yellow |
Andrew Edmondson | |
Nickname: | Edmo |
Nationality: | Australian |
Residence: | Sydney, New South Wales |
Birth Date: | 1990 6, df=yes |
Disability Class: | 2.0 |
Sport: | Wheelchair rugby |
Andrew John Edmondson (born 24 June 1990) is an Australian wheelchair rugby player. He won a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics as a member of the Australian Steelers.[1] He competed at 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and has been selected for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.[2] [3]
Edmondson was born on 24 June 1990.[4] His friends call him "Edmo". At the age of 13, he broke his neck whilst surfing at Coogee Beach.[4] At the time, he had received a scholarship to play rugby at Scots College in Sydney.[4] He has a Bachelor of Sports Business from the Australian College of Physical Education.[4] In 2021, he lives in Port Macquarie, New South Wales and is able to train with Ryley Batt. He has business role working for Melrose Wheelchairs and is a part of a public speaking programme through the Australian Institute of Sport in regards to mental health.[5]
As part of his rehabilitation, he watched a video on wheelchair rugby whilst at the Prince of Wales Hospital and became interested in the sport.[4] In 2004, he attended an Australian Paralympic Committee Come and Try Day.[4] He made his debut for the national team the Australian Steelers in 2014.[4] As of 2016, he has been a member of the NSW Gladiators for 10 years and captained the team for the last two years.[6] In 2015, he played in the United States wheelchair rugby competition.[6]
He was a member of the team that retained its gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics after defeating the United States 59–58 in the final.[7] He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2017.[8]
At the 2018 IWRF World Championship in Sydney, Australia, he was a member of the Australian team that won the silver medal after being defeated by Japan 61–62 in the gold medal game.[9]
Edmondson his won first world championship gold medal at the 2022 IWRF World Championship in Vejle, Denmark, when Australia defeated the United States .[10]