Ryan Scott (wheelchair rugby)

Ryan Scott, OAM (born 3 March 1982)[1] is a Paralympic wheelchair rugby competitor from Australia. In four Paralympics, Scott has won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Paralympics.[2]

Ryan Scott
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Scott
Personal information
Nationality Australia
Born (1982-03-03) 3 March 1982
Brisbane
Sport
Disability class0.5
Medal record
Wheelchair rugby
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2008 Beijing Mixed
Gold medal – first place 2012 LondonMixed
Gold medal – first place 2016 RioMixed
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2010 Vancouver Mixed
Gold medal – first place 2014 OdenseMixed
Silver medal – second place 2018 Sydney Mixed

Personal

Scott was born on 3 March 1982. On 6 June 1998 as a 16-year-old, he became a quadriplegic due to a car crash on a country road en route to Victor Harbor, South Australia.[3][1][4] At the time of the accident, he was a year 11 student at Willunga High School.[3] The accident left Scott paralysed from his chest down but he has some movement in his shoulders, back, biceps and forearms.[3] He moved to Brisbane from Adelaide in 2009 due to the warm weather and due to Queensland having a good wheelchair rugby program.[5]

Wheelchair rugby
Scott at the 2012 London Paralympics

Scott took up wheelchair rugby as part of his rehabilitation. Scott said "I always loved sport and participated in all kinds of sport – soccer, basketball, Aussie rules, pretty much every sport except able-bodied rugby. As a quadriplegic, I didn’t have the upper-body strength to play wheelchair basketball. When I saw wheelchair rugby, that’s when I thought that sport was still possible."[3] Scott made his debut for the Australian team 'Steelers' in August 2001.[4] He was a member of the Steelers that came fifth at the 2004 Athens Paralympics.[4] He won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games in the mixed wheelchair rugby event.[6] He won a gold medal at the 2012 London Games in the mixed wheelchair rugby event.[6]

Scott being interviewed on behalf of his team after winning the Australian 2012 Team of the Year

He was a member of the Steelers that finished with the silver medal at the 2010 World Championships and gold medal at the 2014 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships at Odense, Denmark.[7]

Scott captained the Australian team that retained its gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics after defeating the United States 59–58 in the final.[8]

At the 2018 World Championships in Sydney, 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]

During his career he was co-captain and captain of the Steelers (2012–2016)[4] and played for the Suncorp Queensland Cyclones in the Wheelchair Rugby National League.[10]

Scott said "because of wheelchair rugby I’ve been able to travel the world playing a team sport, I have represented my county at three Paralympic Games, which is huge. It has also made me a much more independent person."[5]

In September 2018, after 288 Steelers games, he announced his retirement from international wheelchair rugby.[11]

Recognition

References
  1. Media guide : Beijing 2008 (PDF). Sydney: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2015.
  2. "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.
  3. Lawrence, Ellisa (5 September 2016). "Paralympics 2016: We're the Superhumans - Queensland's champions". Courier Mail. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  4. "Ryan Scott". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  5. "Wheelchair rugby player Ryan Scott gears up for fourth Paralympics in Rio". Courier Mail. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  6. "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  7. "Australia wins first ever IWRF World Championship". Australian Paralympic Committee News. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  8. Lees, Chris (19 September 2016). "Steelers double up with Paralympics gold". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  9. "Results". IWRF Wheelchaair Rugby World Championships website. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  10. "Suncorp Queensland Cyclones wheelchair rugby team". Sporting Wheelies and Disabled website. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  11. "Steelers legend retires from wheelchair rugby". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  12. "Ryan Scott". It's An Honour website. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  13. "Ryan Scott named 2015 Sporting Wheelie of the Year". Sportsing Wheelies and Disabled Association website. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  14. "2016 Annual Awards winners". Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association website. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
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