On a night out in central Queensland, Paul Gooda, then 19, jumped in the car with a drunk driver – it changed his life forever.
"I had my accident in 1982, and so I'm paraplegic," he said.
The Ghungalu man said adjusting to life with a disability was a difficult time and he struggled with low self-confidence for years.
In 2010, he was convinced to attend a come-and-try event at the Rockwheelers Wheelchair Basketball team in Rockhampton.
"I was hooked immediately," Mr Gooda said.
It is only now that he truly understands the profound impact being part of the team has had.
"I think it saved my life, without exaggeration, because I'd never played a team sport before and never realised how great playing a team sport could be," he said.
"[For] your physical health but also for your mental health, it's just such an endorphin rush and being part of a team — it makes you feel better."
Head coach Jenny Anderson said it had been a joy to mentor players of all ages and abilities on the court.
"Our eldest [is about] 62 and our youngest is 12," she said.
"It's a real chance for social interaction and engagement with other people, [it's a] very important part of their lives and very important part of my life as well."
Gliding onto the court
Mr Gooda said his first time on the court felt strange because he had never called himself a sportsperson.
"I'd never sat in a play chair before," he said.
"That was just an awesome experience, I just didn't think that wheelchairs could move like that and so smoothly."
Wheelchair basketball has many similarities to the able-bodied version of the sport, but players are assigned a point value depending on their level of impairment.
"It's got more in common than it hasn't," Mr Gooda said.
"With able-bodied basketball you've got to bounce the ball every two steps so with wheelchair basketball it's every two pushes."
Mr Gooda said training twice a week, and his work with non-profits, helped him develop the confidence and skills needed in a leader.
He had been on a disability support pension doing voluntary work before becoming CEO of Gumbi Gumbi Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Corporation about a year ago.
"It is a small community. I just felt like I could help with my particular set of skills," he said.
Wheelchair basketball misconceptions
Ellie Bloomfield followed her older sister, who lives with a disability, into the sport three years ago.
"We have a lot more in common when we play and it's just really fun," she said.
"I came along to training and they invited me to play and I just fell in love."
The 16-year-old said it was a common misconception that only people in wheelchairs could play.
"That's completely false because I'm an able-bodied [player] myself," she said.
"I chose to come play wheelchair basketball, even though I could play able-bodied basketball, but I chose this because I love it."
For Ellie, the team is "like family" and she loves meeting new people.
"The team spirit just brings everyone together and it's just a really good place to be," she said.
"It'll be a lifelong sport for me."
Competitive and entertaining
Coach Jenny Anderson said it was great to see more girls playing after years of all-boy squads.
"We're very focussed on developing our juniors," she said.
"We have at least eight players between the age of 12 and 25 so that's looking good for wheelchair basketball within Rockhampton."
She encouraged all communities to support the sport by having a go or watching the games.
"See past the chair, and … see the person in the chair … and that they're just as competitive as any other sportsman who's out here playing basketball or football or whatever that sport may be," Anderson said.
The Rockwheelers travelled to the Suncoast Spinners Wheelchair Basketball Tournament last month and returned with A grade silver medals.
Mr Gooda said the older players were keen to see more juniors join.
"[We've] definitely got mentor, if not grandfather, kind of roles within the team and we love it," he said.
The team will compete at the State Championships in Brisbane in May.
