Amanda Carter is one of the great comeback stories of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. At the Sydney 2000 Games, Amanda ruptured a tendon off her elbow against fierce rivals Canada. Knocked onto her right side, Amanda’s arm became trapped under her wheelchair, leaving the Dandenong Rangers star requiring an elbow reconstruction.

After losing considerable mobility in her right arm, her chances of playing again appeared remote. Against the odds, the veteran launched her comeback in 2009, at the age of 44. She has since held her place in the Gliders team and was part of the gold medal winning Australian team at the 2010 Osaka Cup. Remarkably, Amanda is now set for her fourth Paralympics campaign.

Amanda began playing for the Gliders after she was diagnosed with transverse myelitis at the age of 24 – a rare spinal condition developed after contracting chicken pox. As part of her rehabilitation, Amanda intensely devoted herself to wheelchair basketball, ultimately turning herself into a Paralympian. She finished fourth at both the Barcelona and Atlanta Games, before winning a silver medal in Sydney.

Amanda is intent on going one better than at Sydney 2000, setting her sights on a gold medal at the London Games. Ironically, Amanda made her debut for the Gliders in London, at a precursor tournament before the 1992 Barcelona Games, one year after she first played the sport.