Tesch inducted into Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame

The 47-year-old, who won two silver and one bronze Paralympic medals, was honoured at a ceremony in Melbourne, Australia, on 25 November. 09 Dec 2016
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A picture of a man in a wheelchair and woman celebrating their victory with a gold medal around their necks

Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch celebrating their victory in the two-person keelboat SKUD18 competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

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By Basketball Australia and IPC

“To be inducted into the Hall of Fame was a huge surprise but a beautiful reward for many years not only of playing, but of mentoring, coaching, developing wheelchair basketball (especially for women) in many places around the world,”

Seven-time Paralympian Liesl Tesch was inducted into the Australian Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in Melbourne, Australia, on 25 November, in recognition of her service to help put the sport on the national stage.

The 47-year-old made her Paralympic debut at Barcelona 1992 and competed in wheelchair basketball until Beijing 2008, winning two silver and one bronze medals. Tesch then switched to sailing and took two Paralympic golds in the SKUD18 class alongside Daniel Fitzgibbon at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

“To be inducted into the Hall of Fame was a huge surprise but a beautiful reward for many years not only of playing, but of mentoring, coaching, developing wheelchair basketball (especially for women) in many places around the world,” said the seven-time Paralympian.

Tesch has always been a sports enthusiast and not even the mountain bike accident she had at 19-years-old stopped her from doing what she loves and from achieving sporting glory.

Apart from sealing multiple-Paralympic medals, she became the first woman to play wheelchair basketball professionally, in Spain, in 2001. In the meantime, Tesch also began recruiting women to start a Spanish women’s team.

She was the driving force behind the establishment of a women’s wheelchair basketball league in Europe, whilst competing in Italy and France.

Tesch has many fond memories of all her years competing, but there is nothing like “the friendships that will last forever!” she said.