James McQuillan
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Australian | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 28 August 1993 | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wheelchair rugby | |||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | 0.5 (rugby) | |||||||||||||||||
| Club | Hunter Wildfires | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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James McQuillan (born 28 August 1993) is an Australian wheelchair rugby player and won a bronze medal with the Steelers at 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.[4]
In 2022, he married his childhood sweetheart Kathryn.[4]
Wheelchair rugby
Prior to his football accident, he loved playing football in winter and cricket in summer. [4] 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]
At the 2024 Summer Paralympics, he was a member of the Steelers that won the bronze medal defeating Great Britain 50–48.[8]
References
- ^ "Quill's quest starts here: Road to the Paralympic Games in Paris". The Border Mail. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Steelers Wheelchair Rugby Team For Paris 2024 Announced By Paralympics Australia | Paralympics Australia". www.paralympic.org.au. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ McLachlan, Hamish (12 March 2023). "Finding My New Normal". No. 12 March 2023. News Corp. Sunday Herald Sun.
- ^ a b c d "Smashing through barriers". news.anz.com. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Kemp, Emma (12 October 2022). "James McQuillan's incredible rise from wheelchair rugby novice to playing for Australia". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ "Victoria Protect Thunder". Wheelchair Rugby Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ "Melbourne Rugby Club". Wheelchair Rugby Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ "Forged In Bronze: Steelers Reach Paralympic Podium After Eight-Year Wait | Paralympics Australia". www.paralympic.org.au. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.