Mobility Blog

Guest blogger Justin Eveson pops into Bluesky to give us all an update on his preparations for London 2012...

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Unthinkable…

Well, those of you that read my previous blog will know that the Perth Wheelcats were heading towards the National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL) finals full of confidence in bringing back a 6^th consecutive national championship.

How wrong we were.

The Wollongong Roller Hawks also came to the finals with something to prove and prove it they did, by beating us twice over the course of the weekend to take away the championship. Now, I am not one to make excuses and I will certainly not start now, the better prepared team went away deserved winners and in my mind it is now a new challenge for some of our younger players, to take that taste of defeat and to turn it around and create their own dynasty in the future.

This was not the only basketball for me in September.  I was also busy preparing for the Rollers selection camp for the team to travel to South Korea in November to qualify for the London Paralympic Games. As part of these preparations I have been doing some ground breaking work with the WA Institute of Sport in utilizing their brand new treadmill that was able to fit my basketball wheelchair on board. Under the guidance of Sacha Fulton we were able to develop a test to measure my fitness level (VO2 Max) from which we can then design a specific program to improve my overall chair speed on the court…. quite exciting really!

At the end of September I headed over to ‘sunny’ Canberra for our selection camp. It was a camp with a difference really as each on court session was a scrimmage session (meaning we played controlled matches against each other)… now this is my kind of camp!

The Australian Institute of Sport really is a world class facility in terms of the sport facilities, recovery centre, gym and of course the food hall, but the best part is certainly our recovery routine, consisting of jumping into 14 degree water for 10 mins after each session (we never enjoy it, however it is an important part of recovering for the next session).

Selection in the team is never a given and I am proud to say I will be once again representing Australia at our next international competition, slipping that green and gold jersey over your head is always a proud moment, and never one I take for granted.

My next challenge comes in the form of our rapidly growing bundle of joy Hugo, as my wife and I prepare to relocate to Rome, Italy in order to best prepare for London 2012. My next blog will tell you about our travels and my return to the European professional wheelchair basketball leagues so stay tuned!

The Bluesky team are proud to introduce our new guest blogger, Paralympic gold medal winning captain of the Australian wheelchair basketball team Justin Eveson. Over the coming months, Justin will be updating us regularly with his team's preparations for the 2012 Paralympics in London.  

Best of luck Justin, from the Bluesky team!

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Hi there readers,

As this is my first ever blog, I should start off by giving you some background on who I am and what I do... otherwise this blog will probably not make much sense to you at all!

My name is Justin Eveson, I was born and raised here in the greatest city in the world, Perth, and I am fortunate enough to be involved in the sport of wheelchair basketball. From humble beginnings as a youngster I have managed to ride the sport to the highest level, been a member of the Australian Paralympic Team since 2000, encompassing the last 3 Paralympic Games (with an eye on attending my 4^th next year in London) and played professional wheelchair basketball in a multitude of European countries.

But before we get into the elite level of the sport I wanted to start with something a little closer to my heart, the Western Australian team in the National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL), the Perth Wheelcats.

Over the past 10 years I have come to realise that the Wheelcats are no ordinary team.  I have been fortunate enough to have been involved with 6 National Championships, 5 of which occurred consecutively.  However, it is not simply Championships that set this team apart.

The thing that makes this team so special is the bond we share from having developed our love of the sport as young kids through the mentorship of one of the greatest men this sport has ever known in Frank Ponta (RIP) and the development program of Wheelchair Sports WA.

This has lead us down the path to success and glory, but more importantly, it has seen us through hard times both on and off the court and has helped develop us into the men (and women) that we now are.

In this series of blogs I would like to share with you my personal experiences, as an athlete with a disability playing wheelchair basketball for state and country, of which hopefully you can relate to while finding my particular brand of humour amusing!

The Perth Wheelcats just ended our 2011 regular season and once again finished as minor premiers, our last games of the season were against the Brisbane Spinning Bullets.  While we took care of them comfortably, considering our run of injuries and illness to key players, it was the perfect opportunity for our younger, less experienced players to step up and push for selection into the team that will travel to the finals in September (this year being hosted by the Bullets).

Now while this did not occur unfortunately, I still think it was a timely reminder for the team as a whole that even though we finished the home and away season with only one loss, now is not the time to relax, but to make that final push towards our 6^th consecutive championship.

Upping the ante at training is always challenging but this month I believe I came across my greatest ever challenge, fatherhood. I became a father to my son Hugo Eveson on the 10^th August 2011 and while the lack of sleep, nappy changing and getting peed on (he has remarkable aim!) are not the most fun things in the world, the whole package of bath time, cuddles on my chest and his overall perfectness make this already the best experience of my life. Getting back to the routine of training after we returned home last week has been challenging, but I can think of no greater motivation than making my son proud of me when we look back upon my sporting career together.

I do realise this blog is becoming somewhat of a short novel.  Now introductions have been made things will be a little sharper; next month I look forward to chatting about the Perth Wheelcats and the NWBL Finals (which will also double as the first time I am away from the little guy) and my preparations for the Australian Rollers selection camp.   We are looking to qualify for the London Paralympic Games which are less than a year away... yes even the reigning Paralympic and World Champions have to qualify!

Until next time

Justin

Like many Australian boys, Justin Eveson grew up living and breathing sport and dreamt of one day playing basketball for Australia.

Then, in 1993 at the age of 12, Justin was involved in an accident with a lawn aerating machine. His right leg was amputated below the knee. But instead of quashing his dreams, the traumatic experience gave Justin the resolve to overcome any obstacles thrown in his way. Staying active was initially an important part of Justin's rehabilitation. Over time, Justin's natural talent and perseverance lead him to competitive swimming and wheelchair basketball.

Today, Justin is the main man in Australia's wheelchair basketball team, the Rollers, who he led to a Silver medal in the Athens Paralympics and to the pinnacle of Gold in Beijing. Justin is currently preparing for the 2012 London Paralympics, plays for the Perth Wheelcats and works fulltime as Membership and Participation Officer for Wheelchair Sports WA.



In-between this hectic schedule, Justin caught up with Bluesky to describe how courage and determination can lead you wherever you want to go in life — regardless of your age or any physical limitations. 

Justin: The main barrier was people telling me I couldn’t do something just because I had a disability. This never sat very well with me (and still doesn’t). In high school, sports teachers would tell me that I couldn’t participate in the athletics carnival as I was on crutches. I ended up running the 400 metre race on crutches just to prove I could do it — although I came dead last! I also entered the high jump which I did without crutches — basically hopping up to the bar and hopping over it. I actually won that event!

I understand now that it wasn't really the teachers' fault for trying to exclude me. It was more to do with their lack of education and understanding. I now devote a lot of time to community education about disability awareness issues, particularly in my role as an ambassador for the Disability Services Commission ‘Count Me In’ program.

Is there a favourite story that you like to share with people about how you have overcome a specific setback in your life?

I do enjoy telling people about when I was first learning to walk again once I was fitted for my first prosthesis (which was very primitive when compared to today’s standards). I worked with Steve Smith, a highly regarded ‘guru’ in the fitness industry and we basically used to walk around the old East Perth footy oval, slowly at first, building up from a ¼ lap to a ½ lap. Every time that I dropped my shoulder and limped, he made me do 20 push-ups. I quickly learnt not to limp and now walk very well with a prosthesis!

Staying motivated and continually reaching for new goals is a challenge for everyone. How do you keep yourself motivated and constantly aiming higher?

There are always new goals and new challenges after you reach any pinnacle you have set yourself. I don’t think there is a ceiling to the level of performance I can give and this is what motivates me to keep striving: to be better the next time than I was the last time.

What words of encouragement would you give to a young person who suddenly has to deal with a loss of mobility?

That there are always challenges in life and you always have a choice in how you deal with them: you can get down on yourself and only see the negative side, or you can pick yourself up and keep going the best you can with a positive attitude. It's how you resolve to react and deal with challenges that define you as a person, and that resolve will help you to be successful in business, sport and family life.

It's also important to realise that you are not alone and there are many organisations that can provide financial, personal and moral support. For me, Wheelchair Sports WA has been instrumental in giving me the opportunity to get involved in sport and to reach the elite level.

What words of encouragement would you give to an older person who is struggling with being less mobile than they once were?

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Below are some interesting further videos about Justin's story and career.