Jack Smith (wheelchair rugby)

Last updated

Jack Smith
MBE
Jack Smith 2.jpg
Jack Smith, member of the GB Wheelchair Rugby team at Tokyo Paralympics 2020.
Personal information
Full nameJack Smith
NationalityBritish
Born (1991-06-19) 19 June 1991 (age 33)
Stockton-on-Tees
Home town Sedgefield
Sport
SportWheelchair rugby
Team Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain
Achievements and titles
Paralympic finals Tokyo 2020
Medal record
Paralympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2020 Tokyo Mixed

Jack Dalziel Smith (born 19 June 1991) in Stockton-on-Tees is a British wheelchair rugby athlete and member of the Great Britain national wheelchair rugby team where the team won the final on 29 August 2021 and received gold medals. [1] [2] He was chosen to represent Great Britain at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.[ citation needed ]

Biography

In 2008, at age 16, Jack was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. A few weeks after this diagnosis, while playing rugby for Billingham RUFC he was injured in a ruck incident. Jack sustained a fracture-dislocation of several vertebrae and spinal cord compression, which resulted in paralysis from the chest down. [3] He had spinal surgery at North Tees Hospital and spent three months' rehab at James Cook University Hospital spinal unit. [4]

Just over a year later and Jack was back playing rugby, only this time in a wheelchair. He took up the sport in 2009 at the North East Bulls club, the region's only wheelchair team.

Jack moved on to Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby club, and through many years hard work and dedication, to a place in the Great Britain team. Following his selection for the GBWR team Jack said: "This has been my dream for six or seven years and right now I'm so excited. My parents, brother, sister and my girlfriend have been so supportive and, although it's not possible for them to watch, they are over the moon for me." [4]

Smith was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to wheelchair rugby. [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedgefield</span> Town and civil parish in County Durham, England

Sedgefield is a market town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It had a population of 4,986 in the 2021 census. It has the only operating racecourse in County Durham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billingham RUFC</span> English rugby union club

Billingham Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union club based in Billingham in North East England. The 1st XV play in the fourth tier, National League 2 North, following their promotion from Regional 1 North East in 2023. The 2nd XV (Lions) play in The "Candy League" Division 1. The 3rd XV play in The League "Candy League" Division 2. and the Colts play in a Saturday Colts League. The junior section range from u-7 minis to u-16's with teams winning Durham county cups and leagues recently. Billingham play their home matches at Greenwood Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Lees</span> Australian wheelchair rugby player

Jason Lees, is a wheelchair rugby player from Victoria and was a member of the Australian Steelers that won the gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Paralympics and competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryley Batt</span> Australian wheelchair rugby player

Ryley Batt, is an Australian wheelchair rugby player. He has won two gold, one silver medal and one bronze medal at six Paralympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazim Erdem</span> Australian wheelchair rugby player

Nazim Erdem, is an Australian wheelchair rugby Paralympic gold and silver medalist. He has won two gold and two silver medals at five Paralympics from 2000 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Dubberley</span> Australian rugby player and coach

Brad Dubberley is an Australian Paralympic wheelchair rugby Head Coach and former athlete. He won a silver medal as an athlete at the 2000 Sydney Games and was the head coach at the 2008 Beijing Games in the mixed wheelchair rugby event. He is the head coach of the Australian Wheelchair Rugby team known as the Australian Steelers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cody Meakin</span> Australian wheelchair rugby player

Cody Meakin, is a wheelchair rugby player. He was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in wheelchair rugby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Hose</span> Australian wheelchair rugby player (born 1986)

Joshua Anthony "Josh" Hose, is a wheelchair rugby player. He has won gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Paralympics and competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Newton (wheelchair rugby)</span> Australian wheelchair rugby Paralympian

Ben Newton, is a wheelchair rugby player and coach. He represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics where he was a member of the Steelers that won the gold medal..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Harrison (wheelchair rugby)</span> Australian wheelchair rugby player

Andrew Harrison, is a wheelchair rugby player. He has won gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Paralympics. and competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Bond (wheelchair rugby)</span> Australian wheelchair rugby player

Christopher Adam Bond is an Australian wheelchair rugby player. He has won gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Paralympics and a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Aaron David Phipps is a British wheelchair rugby player and gold medal-winning paralympian.

Kylie Grimes is a British para-athlete. She is one of two women, along with Bieke Ketelbuters, who competed on wheelchair rugby teams at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. She was part of the GB team to win their first ever gold in the event, at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan, beating the USA 54–49. In doing so she became the first woman of any country to win a Paralympic gold medal in the sport.

Stephen Brown is an English television presenter, public speaker, athlete mentor and a former member and captain of the Great Britain wheelchair rugby squad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Anthony (wheelchair rugby)</span> British Paralympic rugby player

David Anthony is a British wheelchair rugby athlete and member of the Great Britain national wheelchair rugby team. He represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Reid (tennis)</span> British wheelchair tennis player

Gordon James Reid is a British professional wheelchair tennis player. He was ranked world No. 1 in singles and world No. 1 in doubles. He holds two Paralympic gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal, and is a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, and record holding twenty-five time Grand Slam doubles champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammi Kinghorn</span> Scottish wheelchair racer

Samantha May Kinghorn is a British World Champion wheelchair racer and TV presenter. At the 2024 paralympics she won a gold medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Edmondson</span> Australian wheelchair rugby player

Andrew John Edmondson is an Australian wheelchair rugby player. He won a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Ayaz Mazeed Bhuta is a British Paralympic wheelchair rugby player and a former wheelchair basketball player who currently plays for the Great Britain national wheelchair rugby team. He has represented Great Britain at the Paralympics in 2016 and 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Coggan</span> British paralympic wheelchair rugby player

Jonathan Coggan is a British paralympic wheelchair rugby player. He won a gold medal for the Great Britain national wheelchair rugby team at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in the mixed event. Coggan was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to wheelchair rugby.

References

  1. ↑ "ParalympicsGB | Jack smith".
  2. ↑ "Sedgefield's Jack Smith wins Paralympic gold as part of wheelchair rugby team". 29 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Chronicle, Evening (24 October 2009). "Paralysed rugby teen's fight to return to action". ChronicleLive.
  4. 1 2 "RFU". www.englandrugby.com.
  5. ↑ "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N25.
  6. ↑ "Wheelchair rugby's Jack Smith and St Teresa's Hospice boss on honours list". BBC News. 31 December 2021.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.