Beau Vernon

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Beau Vernon
Wheelchair rugby at the 2024 Summer Paralympics - Australia vs Great Britain 144.jpg
Vernon at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born5 December 1988 (1988-12-05) (age 36)
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportWheelchair basketball
Disability class 0.5 (rugby)
ClubUniversity of Queensland Club
Medal record
Wheelchair rugby
Representing Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Paralympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2024 Paris Mixed

Beau Vernon (born 5 December 1988) is an Australian wheelchair rugby player. He won a bronze medal with the Steelers at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. [1]

Contents

Personal

Vernon is from Phillip Island, Victoria. [2] In June 2012, at the age of 23, his head was hit during a game of Australian football at Leongatha, Victoria and this resulted in him becoming a quadriplegic. [3] He spent seven months Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Hospital in Kew, Melbourne. In 2023, he moved Sunshine Coast in Queensland with his wife Lucy and three – Layla, Joey and Ollie. [2] [4] He has completed a business degree at RMIT.

Wheelchair rugby

Prior to his football injury, he was a successful at state level athletics and basketball. [3] He was the youngest player in Gippsland Power’s TAC Cup 2005 premiership team, playing alongside Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas and Xavier Ellis. [3] In 2014, he was appointed coach of Leongatha Football Club in the Gippsland League and they went on to win the premiership in his third year of coaching. [3] He has also coached Phillip Island Seniors to two premierships. [2] [3]

He was introduced to wheelchair rugby through Australian Paralympian Nazem Erdem, a gold and silver medallist. [2] Vernon is a 0.5 player and is a member of the University of Queensland Rugby Club. He was a member of Steelers that won the 2024 WWR Paralympic Qualification Tournament, Wellington, New Zealand and has been selected for the 2024 Summer Paralympics. [5]

At the 2024 Summer Paralympics, he was a member of the Steelers that won the bronze medal defeating Great Britain 50–48. [6]

References

  1. ↑ "Steelers chasing redemption at Paris Games". Yahoo Sports. 10 July 2024. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Beau has his eyes on the Paris Olympics". The Phillip Island and San Remo Advertiser. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Zone, The Spinal Cord Injury (11 April 2019). "Beau Vernon became a quadriplegic at 23. He has since coached two country teams to flags | News". Spinal Cord Injury Zone!. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  4. ↑ "Mind games: From Maxwell's masterpiece to Beau's bravery, it's proof our greatest power is in our head – InQueensland". www.inqld.com.au. 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  5. ↑ "Steelers Ready For NZ Detour To Paris | Paralympics Australia". www.paralympic.org.au. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  6. ↑ "Forged In Bronze: Steelers Reach Paralympic Podium After Eight-Year Wait | Paralympics Australia". www.paralympic.org.au. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
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