Bridie Kean has proven successful at dealing with unexpected challenges. After her feet were amputated as a two-year-old due to contracting meningococcal, Bridie was inspired to start playing wheelchair basketball after being in the crowd when the Gliders won silver at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics.

Bridie first represented Australia at the IWBF qualification tournament in 2007. She considers her debut for the Gliders her proudest moment.

Just one year later, Bridie competed in her first Paralympic Games in Beijing. The Gliders won a bronze medal, beating Japan 53-47. Although the team was aiming for gold, Bridie feels the team did a fantastic job. “We worked together as a team really well and our medal is a credit to a lot of hard work and dedication.”

Since Beijing, Bridie has proven a valuable asset in Australia’s consecutive triumphs at the Osaka Cups in 2009 and 2011. She was also part of the Gliders’ 2010 World Championships team, finishing fourth and the gold medal winning team at the 2011 Asia Oceania Regional Championships.

Despite her relative youth, Bridie is a well-travelled young woman. Before her career with the Australian team, she spent a gap year in England in 2005. Bridie also secured a scholarship with the University of Illinois and completed her Bachelor of Science in 2011 while continuing to play wheelchair basketball.

It was in Illinois that she attracted the nickname “Bird” due to the fact Americans struggle to pronounce Bridie. The Gliders star is not the only famous person in her family; her great uncle is James Scullin, the former Prime Minister of Australia.

Bridie has since returned home from Illinois and lives in Brisbane rather than her native Victoria while she completes a Master of Public Health at the University of Queensland. She hopes to represent Australia at as many major tournaments she can and is looking forward to the Gliders’ tilt at gold in London 2012.