Wednesday 3 June 2009
Our guest speaker was Tina McKenzie, the Captain of the Australian Women’ Wheelchair Basketball Team. Tina was introduced by PP Raymond McCluskie.
Tina is a Paralympian and is currently captain of the Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team known as the ‘Gliders’.
In February 2009 they won the World Championship in Osaka by defeating host nation Japan. Along the way they defeated Beijing Olympic Champions the USA.
Tina began by outlining what happened the dramatic event that led to her becoming a paraplegic. In 1995 she was sitting on a wall when she slipped and fell 10 metres. She immediately knew something was wrong and was later told by her doctor that she would never walk again. Tina spent the next 6 months learning to live in a wheelchair and within 8 months was back at work again where she supervised a chain of hair salons. She had to learn to cook, to clothe herself and most importantly to learn to drive her specially adapted motor vehicle. Tina commented that being able to drive herself around was most important as the availability of public transport for the disabled is somewhat mixed.
Prior to her accident Tina had partaken in Hockey, Netball and Indoor Cricket and after her accident she was asked to partake in Wheelchair Tennis. While she admitted that her performance was a great challenge and she was not particularly great it showed her that she could still be part of the sporting society.
Tina also went on a 16 day sailing holiday in the WhitSundays where she participated in Paraflying and undertook a flight in an Ultralight. She has also water skied.
Wheelchair Tennis brought her into the wider area of wheelchair sport and in 1998 she joined the Victorian Wheelchair Basketball squad. Although not successful in becoming a member of the 2000 Paralympic team she was successful in becoming a member of the 2004 Athens team where they won the Silver Medal and again in 2008 where the team won Bronze in Beijing. Tina commented that sport has allowed her to get on with her life. Tina hopes to go snow skiing and ride a horse.
On a personal level, one cannot but admire Tina who has overcome the adversity of a major life changing accident to maintain a position in society where she can inspire others with similar disabilities to enjoy life to the full.
In response to one question Tina commented that there are 14 sports on the Paralympic calendar for wheelchair bound people.
It should also be noted that Wheelchair Basketball was one of the foundation sports on the 2000 Rome Paralympics.
Tina was thanked by President Elect Kevin Freund.