Rye overcomes obstacles and inspires others through sport

When the journey of a lifetime was cut short, Rye Shawcroft didn’t give up. And now, as the first person to complete Tough Mudder in a wheelchair, he’s showing himself — and others — that anything is possible.

Rye Shawcroft became the first Aussie to complete a Tough Mudder competition in wheelchair. Picture: Jason Edwards

Rye Shawcroft had always dreamt of joining the army.

The 23-year-old had a passion for helping people and giving back to those less fortunate really struck a chord.

At the age of 18, in 2014, Mr Shawcroft enlisted in the Australian Defence Force, setting off on what was to be the journey of a lifetime.

But just months in, he began suffering from pains in his shins and knees.

“At the start it was just pains in my shins — it took from the June to the November before I was diagnosed,” Mr Shawcroft said.

He pushed on, putting it down to a rigorous training program he wasn’t yet used to.

But the cracks began to show though and by the end of the year the new recruit had been shifted out of training and sent for medical testing.

The results were devastating.

By December 2014 he had been diagnosed with six different leg injuries — everything from neurological to biomechanical — and was told nothing could be done to fix them.

And in June 2015 he was discharged — just a year after enlisting.

“I was pretty down in the dumps,” he recalls.

“That following year was probably the hardest and most trying time in my life.

“By the April 2016 I required a wheelchair whenever I left the house.”

Now, he’s determined not to let his injuries stop him from living life to the fullest.

Rye Shawcross wants to change the way people with disabilities are perceived. Picture: Jason Edwards

The young gun is using sport to show himself — and the wider community — that you can do anything you put your mind to.

”Later that year I got the confidence to start training again — I competed in Soilder On and Tough Mudder.

“I was the first person to complete Tough Mudder in a wheelchair.

“(And) in 2016 I was selected as one of the athletes in the Invictus Games — I competed in wheelchair basketball and unfortunately we didn’t win but it was an incredible experience.”

He has also tried out for the Paralympics and won five medals, including two gold, at the Warrior Games in America.

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Mr Shawcroft now hopes to spread his positivity to other returned soldiers and the wider community — and is working closely with Frankston’s RSL branch, conducting talks and speaking publicly about his challenges, all of which contributed to his 2019 Pride of Australia awards nomination.

“I really want to try and influence how (others) perceive people with disabilities,” he said.

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