Justin Eveson
Wheelchair Basketball
Australia
Justin began competing in wheelchair basketball in 1995 but switched to swimming and represented Australia in the 2000 Paralympics team, in the pool. In front of his home crowd Justin won silver and bronze medals as a member of the 4x100m medley and 4x100m freestyle relay teams.
At the 2004 Athens Games, Justin was a member of the Australian wheelchair basketball team, the Rollers where they won a silver medal. Justin was again a key member of the 2008 team that achieved its ultimate goal over Canada at the Beijing Games; a gold medal. Most recently Justin led the Rollers to victory at the 2010 World Championships in England.
Justin has had a long career playing basketball in many international competitions and has some amazing stories that his sporting travels have uncovered. He has won a plethora of individual and team awards, but the competitor in him is rarely satisfied.
He is now home in Perth working hard with Wheelchair Sports WA Association. However, his focus is tracking firmly on the 2012 London Paralympics and back to back gold.
These two world class athletes, Australian and International champions are sensational additions to the JCCM team and we are excited to have them onboard.
In January 1993, at the age of 12, Justin was involved in an accident involving a lawn aerating machine, which resulted in him having his right leg amputated below the knee.
Justin had enjoyed an active life prior to the accident and keeping active was important to his rehabilitation. Initially, Justin was involved in swimming, but upon receiving his first prosthesis he ran, jumped and played sport like all his friends through school.
Justin became involved in competitive swimming and wheelchair basketball. He excelled in both sports and soon became Australia’s best junior athlete in both. Justin was forced to make a tough decision as to what sport he would choose and he decided to focus his energies into elite level swimming, while still enjoying social wheelchair basketball.
In 2000, Justin made his first Paralympic team, in swimming. At the 2000 Sydney Paralympics he achieved a silver and bronze medal.
Following on from the 2000 Paralympics, Justin started with the Perth Wheelcats in 2001, making the Australian team in 2002. This led to him living in countries including Spain, Italy and Turkey whilst playing professional wheelchair basketball. This experience saw him earn 3 consecutive European Champions League Cups.
At the 2004 Athens Paralympics, Justin and the Australian men’s wheelchair basketball team, The Rollers, went on to win the Silver medal.
The 2008 Beijing Paralympics brought Justin the medal that had previously eluded him – Gold.
More recently, Justin took on the world’s best teams at the 2010 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Birmingham, England. Gold was the prize, once again.
Achievements
Silver Medal Wheelchair Basketball (The Rollers)
Beijing Paralympic Games
Gold Medal Wheelchair (The Rollers)
Leading member of Perth Wheelcats : 5 times National Wheelchair Basketball
Championship winners.
European Champions Cup Gold Medal
(Galatasary) 2007, 2008, 2009 – Highest point scorer 2010
2010 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships (The Rollers)
Gold Medal
Selection in World All Star 5
Australia’s Highest point scorer
Results
2000 Paralympic Games
Silver Medal 4x100 medley
Bronze Medal 4x100 Freestyle
Sandy Blythe Medal for Australia’s best International Wheelchair Player 2008, 2009, 2010
Wheelchair Sports WA Sports Star of the Year 2007, 2008, 2009
2009 Asia Oceania World Cup Qualifying Tournament MVP
West Australian Sports Federation Sports Star of the Year: Finalist 2009
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Finalist 2010
