James McQuillan explained

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James McQuillan
Nationality:Australian
Birth Date:28 August 1993
Disability Class:0.5 (rugby)
Country:Australia
Sport:Wheelchair rugby
Club:Hunter Wildfires

James McQuillan (born 28 August 1993) is an Australian wheelchair rugby player and has been selected for the 2024 Paris Paralympics. [1] [2]

Biography

He grew up on a farm outside the town of Nanneella.[3] In 2014, aged 20, McQuillan fractured his C5 vertebrae playing Australian rules Football in Albury, New South Wales and left him a C5 complete quadriplegic.[4] In 2018, he completed an accounting degree at Charles Sturt University. In 2023, he was employed in ANZ Bank's Commercial Division.

In 2022, he married his childhood sweetheart Kathryn.

Wheelchair rugby

Prior to his football accident, he loved playing football in winter and cricket in summer. He began playing wheelchair rugby in 2021, debuting for the Steelers 11 months later in Denmark.[5] He won the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship with the Australian Steelers. He has a 0.5 classification in wheelchair rugby, and in 2024 plays for Hunter Wildfires in the National Wheelchair Rugby League. [6] [7]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2023-06-01 . Quill's quest starts here: Road to the Paralympic Games in Paris . 2023-10-07 . The Border Mail . en-AU.
  2. Web site: 2024-07-10 . Steelers Wheelchair Rugby Team For Paris 2024 Announced By Paralympics Australia Paralympics Australia . 2024-07-10 . www.paralympic.org.au . en-AU.
  3. News: McLachlan . Hamish . Finding My New Normal . Sunday Herald Sun . 12 March 2023 . News Corp . 12 March 2023.
  4. Web site: Smashing through barriers . 2024-07-10 . news.anz.com . en.
  5. News: Kemp . Emma . James McQuillan's incredible rise from wheelchair rugby novice to playing for Australia . The Guardian . 12 October 2022 . 3 June 2023.
  6. Web site: Victoria Protect Thunder . Wheelchair Rugby Australia . 3 June 2023.
  7. Web site: Melbourne Rugby Club . Wheelchair Rugby Australia . 3 June 2023.