Grant Boxall
Encyclopedia
Grant Boxall is a Paralympic wheelchair rugby competitor from Australia.
. About two months after he left the hospital, Boxall began playing wheelchair rugby. Prior to becoming disabled, he had little experience playing contact sports like rugby. The sport aided in his recovery process. In 2005, he was working on moving to the United States
with his girlfriend in order to continue his career as a wheelchair rugby player. When not competing in sport, he is a sport development officer. In 2008, he started on a twenty-two month journey to rebuild a "a 1968 Mercedes-Benz fitted with a twin-turbo V8 350 small-block Chevy engine." He paid for the car and refitted the controls so he could control it using his hands.
in 2000 at the age of 24. His player classification is 2.5. In 2002, he was classified as a 3.5 player. In 2004, he was a Queensland Academy of Sport
scholarship recipient. In 2008, he was a Western Australian Institute of Sport
scholarship recipient.
state wheelchair rugby team, the Black Ducks, in 2005. He started playing for the team in 2000.
in 2001. Boxall competed in wheelchair rugby events in the United States, South Africa, Sweden and New Zealand and represented Australia in the 2002 World Championships, 2006 World Championships, 2004 Athens Paralympic Games and 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. He won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games
in the mixed wheelchair rugby
event. He was on the Australian team that competed in the 2001 Oceania Zonal Championships that finished first. He was also part of the Australian national side that finished in third at the 2002 World Championships. He was also part of the 2002 team that competed at the World Rugby Challenge in Canada. In 2005, he was part of the Australian team that finished in second at the Oceania Zonal Championships. In 2007, he was part of the team that competed at the Oceania Wheelchair Rugby Championships. In 2008, he was part of the Australian team that finished first at the Rugby Super Series.
Personal
Boxall was born on 19 July 1976. Grant was injured in a surfing accident near Yallingup, Western Australia, The night before the accident, he had promised his girlfriend he would not go surfing, but the following day, he went anyway and took his girlfriend with him. While surfing that day, he hit "his head on a rock hard enough for his neck to break, the vertebrae slicing into his spinal cord, leaving him a quadriplegic." He was rescued by professional surfer Taj BurrowTaj Burrow
Taj Burrow is an Australian professional surfer who is currently competing in this 14th year on the ASP World Tour.-Career:...
. About two months after he left the hospital, Boxall began playing wheelchair rugby. Prior to becoming disabled, he had little experience playing contact sports like rugby. The sport aided in his recovery process. In 2005, he was working on moving to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his girlfriend in order to continue his career as a wheelchair rugby player. When not competing in sport, he is a sport development officer. In 2008, he started on a twenty-two month journey to rebuild a "a 1968 Mercedes-Benz fitted with a twin-turbo V8 350 small-block Chevy engine." He paid for the car and refitted the controls so he could control it using his hands.
Wheelchair rugby
Boxall started playing wheelchair rugbyWheelchair rugby
Wheelchair rugby, , is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is currently practiced in over twenty countries around the world and is a Paralympic sport....
in 2000 at the age of 24. His player classification is 2.5. In 2002, he was classified as a 3.5 player. In 2004, he was a Queensland Academy of Sport
Queensland Academy of Sport
The Queensland Academy of Sport is an elite sports institute set up in 1991 by the Queensland Government to support athletes in the state of Queensland...
scholarship recipient. In 2008, he was a Western Australian Institute of Sport
Western Australian Institute of Sport
The Western Australian Institute of Sport is an elite sports institute set up in 1983 by the Government of Western Australia to support athletes in Western Australia...
scholarship recipient.
State team
Boxall was a member of the Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
state wheelchair rugby team, the Black Ducks, in 2005. He started playing for the team in 2000.
National team
Boxall was selected in the Australian National TeamAustralia national wheelchair rugby team
Wheelchair rugby is a sport with national representation at the Paralympic games. It is not included at the Special Olympics or the Deaflympics. The sport is one of the few contact sports available for wheelchair sport athletes. It has drawn large crowds at events such as the Paralympics. The...
in 2001. Boxall competed in wheelchair rugby events in the United States, South Africa, Sweden and New Zealand and represented Australia in the 2002 World Championships, 2006 World Championships, 2004 Athens Paralympic Games and 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. He won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games
2008 Summer Paralympics
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
in the mixed wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair rugby, , is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is currently practiced in over twenty countries around the world and is a Paralympic sport....
event. He was on the Australian team that competed in the 2001 Oceania Zonal Championships that finished first. He was also part of the Australian national side that finished in third at the 2002 World Championships. He was also part of the 2002 team that competed at the World Rugby Challenge in Canada. In 2005, he was part of the Australian team that finished in second at the Oceania Zonal Championships. In 2007, he was part of the team that competed at the Oceania Wheelchair Rugby Championships. In 2008, he was part of the Australian team that finished first at the Rugby Super Series.