Paralympic Games: Rollers captain Shaun Norris admits preparation hasn’t been perfect for Tokyo gig

Shaun Norris will captain the Australian Rollers in the men’s basketball competition at the Paralympic Games – his fifth campaign, and one that has come with a whole host of obstacles.

Shaun Norris is “kind of tired” of waking up at 5am, training, going to work, back to training, and doing it all over again.

Good thing he left for Tokyo on Wednesday.

Norris will captain the Australian Rollers in the men’s basketball competition at the Paralympic Games — his fifth campaign, and one that has come with a whole host of obstacles.

The 36-year-old was most recently in Perth, but had spent two weeks in Darwin before that, as the Rollers prepared for the Games. The problem? The full team couldn’t make it as the Sydney and Melbourne athletes got stuck in lockdown.

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Australian Rollers captain Shaun Norris says the team’s preparation hasn’t been ideal, but they are perfect condition physically. Picture: Che Chorley

“It’s going to be interesting,” Norris told News Corp of the quick-fire adjustment period that’ll be required when the team arrives in Tokyo. “I’d rather try not dwell on it.”

And while training has undoubtedly been a problem, the lack of on-court, international competition has been an even bigger test.

“The difficulty is we haven’t had any real game-time against any country since we qualified for this three years ago, so that is going to be the challenge — to get up to speed,” Norris said.

The good news is that while the Rollers haven’t been able to get stronger as a team, they are, in Norris’ opinion, in perfect shape to bring home the big prize.

“On a physical level, I don’t think team’s ever actually been this good,” Norris said. “I know the boys have been working hard and everyone knows the challenges ahead of them.”

There are no excuses for the Rollers, who are looking to make up for a Rio campaign that didn’t meet expectations. In 2004, Norris and the Rollers won silver. In 2008, they claimed gold. It was silver in London. But the team missed the podium altogether in 2016; a sixth-place finish their worst Games performance since 1992.

Shaun Norris and the Rollers won gold in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.

That failure was a blunt reality check and something that forced a rethink. Two years later, the Rollers finished third at the World Championships, with a “new culture” setting them straight.

“A lot of things have changed,” Norris believes.

“I always say when you take a bad loss that you use that as fuel for the next time you jump on the court,” Norris added. “No one ever likes to lose.”

And Norris plans to make things right at his fifth Paralympic Games; a stage that allows him to do what he loves the most.

“I just love representing my country,” said Norris, who sustained his spinal injury when he was four years old after being hit by a car while riding his bike.

“I think anyone that has the opportunity and gets to that level just enjoys the moment.

“It’s my life. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamt of. It’s something that watching the 2000 Paralympic Games on TV that I wanted to do. Ever since then, I’ve chased that dream. I’m enormously proud and respect that. I love it.”

Norris works full-time in IT but didn’t have any trouble booking leave for Tokyo. It’s been a rough journey to get there, “but if it was easy, I think anyone could do it.”