Ben Fawcett

As much at home in the water and on snow as on land, Ben Fawcett has always enjoyed an active lifestyle, and a snowboarding accident at 18 did little to change that.

Ben sustained irreparable damage to his neck in a horrific crash-landing, and spent the next six months in hospital in New Zealand before he was cleared to travel home to Australia. But by 2010, the adrenaline junkie in Ben was calling, and wheelchair rugby filled that void with ease.

Now a Paralympic champion and World Championship silver medallist, Ben has spent over seven years establishing himself among the best 0.5 players in the world. He made his Paralympic debut in 2016, where the Steelers became the first team in wheelchair rugby history to win two Paralympic gold medals and a world title in a four-year period, and represented Australia once again at the 2018 International Wheelchair Rugby Federation Wheelchair Rugby World Championships, where the Steelers enjoyed an unbeaten run to the gold medal match.

However, despite this dream run – and a home-court advantage – Japan proved too strong for the reigning world champions, with an uncharacteristic and decisive error with 90 seconds to play bringing an end to the Steelers’ six-year reign at major tournaments.

At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, The Steelers’ nine-year reign as Paralympic champions came to an end when the team finished fourth after being defeated by Japan 52–60 in the bronze medal game. It was the first time in 17 years that the team didn’t win a medal.

Off the court, Ben enjoys attending car shows and collecting vinyl records.