Jason Lees

Jason Lees, OAM is a wheelchair rugby player from Victoria and was a member of the Australian Steelers that won the gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Paralympics and competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.[1][2]

Jason Lees
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Lees
Personal information
National teamAustralia
Born (1977-03-01) 1 March 1977
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportWheelchair rugby
Disability class1.0
Medal record
Representing Australia
Wheelchair rugby
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place2012 LondonMixed
Gold medal – first place2016 RioMixed
World Championships
Silver medal – second place2010 VancouverMixed
Gold medal – first place2014 OdenseMixed
Silver medal – second place2018 SydneyMixed

Biography
Lees at the 2012 London Paralympics

Lees life changed in June 2000. Lees a mechanic at the time was on a motocross circuit in Laverton, Victoria when his bike ran off the track and the resultant accident led to him breaking his neck.[3] He is paralysed from the chest down but has recovered some mobility, improving to a point where he can 'stand a bit and use my arms a bit.'[3] His partner is Melanie Josephs and they have two girls.[4] He who works part-time for Disability Sport and Recreation,

In 2002, Lees started playing wheelchair rugby on the social, non-competitive level.

In 2009, he made his debut for the Victoria state team and the Australian Steelers. He competed in the 2010 World Rugby Wheelchair Championships, where his team captured a silver medal.[5]

Lees was a member of the Steelers that won the gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympics. He was a member of the Australian team that won its first world championship gold medal at the 2014 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships at Odense, Denmark.[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]

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.[8]

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, the Steelers finished fourth after being defeated by Japan 52–60 in the bronze medal game.COVID travel restrictions led to Steelers not having a team training since March 2020 prior to Tokyo.[9]

Lees was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the 2014 Australia Day Honours "for service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games."[10]

Lees announced his retirement from the Steelers in November 2021 and moving to a Development Coach with Paralympics Australia.[11]

References
  1. "Steelers aim to maintain their reign in Rio". Australian Paralympic Committee News. 25 July 2016. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. "Steelers Eyeing Paralympic History… Again". Paralympics Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  3. Paxinos, Stathi (11 August 2012). "Set for some hell on wheels". The Age. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  4. Spits, Scott (30 November 2019). "Australia's Jason Lees is chairman of the board at Murderball Inc". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  5. Australian Athletes with a Disability. "Jason Lees (VIC)". Archived from the original on 3 October 2011.
  6. "Australia wins first ever IWRF World Championship". Australian Paralympic Committee News. 11 August 2014. Archived from the original on 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  7. Lees, Chris (19 September 2016). "Steelers double up with Paralympics gold". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  8. "Results". IWRF Wheelchaair Rugby World Championships website. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  9. "Australia names wheelchair rugby team of 12 for Tokyo 2020". Inside The Games. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  10. "Australia Day honours list 2014: in full". Daily Telegraph. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  11. "Steelers' Golden Era Stars Announce Retirement". Paralympics Australia. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
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