Shae Graham to debut in Tokyo Paralympic Games

Shae Graham’s life was thrown off course at just 18 years old, but losing a bet to her brother has led to a Paralympic Games debut.

Shae Graham’s life was thrown violently off course when she was involved in a car crash.

Graham, at 18 years old, was in the back seat of her friend’s car when the driver lost control of the wheel and crashed into the side of a house in Mackay.

Graham fractured her spine and pelvis, and suffered a brain injury as well as a ruptured bladder.

Despite being active up until the crash in 2004, Graham refused to get involved in para-sport for almost a decade.

Shae Graham is the only female on the Australian team, who will compete for gold at the Tokyo Paralympics. Picture: Paralympics Australia.

She became involved in wheelchair rugby when Graham lost a bet with her brother in 2014.

Graham made her international debut just five years later, at the 2019 Four Nations tournament in Alabama, where she had several strong performances for the Steelers.

She became the first female athlete to represent Australia in wheelchair rugby, and continued to make history when she was selected for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

2019 Australian Steelers

The Steelers have won gold medals in each of the two previous Paralympics, with the side expected to contend for a third consecutive win.

Graham’s goal was to “become a Paralympian and to play for Australia as long as I can”, and will realise the first part of that dream when the Paralympic Games start on August 24.