Grant Boxall

Boxall was born on 19 July 1976.{{cite web|url=http://www.wheelchairsportswa.org.au/ath_grantboxall.htm|accessdate=1 November 2011|publisher=Wheelchair Sports Western Australia|title=Grant Boxall|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091017121715/http://www.wheelchairsportswa.org.au/ath_grantboxall.htm|archivedate=17 October 2009}} He was injured in a surfing accident near the Western Australian town of Yallingup{{cite news|accessdate=1 November 2011|url=http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/wa/content/2005/s1453180.htm|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporating|date=2 September 2005|first=Layla|last=Tucak|title=Lifting the profile of wheelchair rugby}} in 2000. 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.{{cite news|location=Sydney, New South Wales|accessdate=13 November 2011|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/surfer-proves-a-real-lifesaver/2008/09/03/1220121332435.html|date=3 September 2008|title=Surfer proves a real lifesaver}} 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 Burrow. About two months{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/wa/content/2005/s1453180.htm|accessdate=13 November 2011|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|location=Western Australia, Australia|date=2 September 2005|title= Lifting the profile of wheelchair rugby|first=Layla|last=Tucak}} 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 in order to continue his career as a wheelchair rugby player.{{cite news|accessdate=13 November 2011|publisher=60 Minutes|url=http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/stories/tarabrown/259349/murderball|title=Murderball|date=23 October 2005|first=Tara|last=Brown|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403025434/http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/stories/tarabrown/259349/murderball|archivedate=3 April 2012}} When not competing in sport, he is a sport development officer. in 2008 he started on a twenty-two month journey to rebuild a 1968 Mercedes-Benz{{cite news|url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/motors/a/-/motors/7855864/a-labour-of-love-against-the-odds/|accessdate=13 November 2011|publisher=The West Australian|title=A labour of love against the odds|date=2 September 2010|first=Kassie|last=Gadeke}} He paid {{A$|650}} for the car and refitted the controls so he could control it using his hands.

Boxall started playing wheelchair rugby in 2000 at the age of 24. His player classification is 2.5.{{cite web|accessdate=13 November 2011|url=http://www.wheelchairsportswa.org.au/enforcers.htm|publisher=Wheelchair Sports Western Australia|year=2008|title=Enforcers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425125111/http://www.wheelchairsportswa.org.au/enforcers.htm|archive-date=25 April 2012|url-status=dead}} In 2002, he was classified as a 3.5 player.{{cite web|accessdate=13 November 2011|url=http://www.cwsa.ca/ustour-table.html|title=Pool Update|publisher=2002 WORLD RUGBY CHALLENGE|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507192316/http://www.cwsa.ca/ustour-table.html|archive-date=7 May 2012|url-status=dead}} In 2004, he was a Queensland Academy of Sport scholarship recipient.{{cite web|accessdate=13 November 2011|url=http://www.ausport.gov.au/information/finding_sport_information/topic/paralympic_games/beijing_paralympic_games/australian_medallists|publisher=Australian Institute of Sport|title=Beijing Medalists|date=23 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328021613/http://www.ausport.gov.au/information/finding_sport_information/topic/paralympic_games/beijing_paralympic_games/australian_medallists|archive-date=28 March 2012|url-status=dead}} In 2008, he was a Western Australian Institute of Sport scholarship recipient.{{cite web|url=http://www.wais.org.au/other/news_detail.php?ID=247|accessdate=13 November 2011|publisher=Western Australian Institute of Sport|title=Silver for Boxall in Paralympic Play-off|date=17 September 2008}}

Boxall was a member of the Western Australia state wheelchair rugby team, the Black Ducks, in 2005. He started playing for the team in 2000.

Boxall was selected in the Australian National Team in 2001. Boxall competed in wheelchair rugby events in the United States, South Africa, Sweden and New Zealand and represented Australia in the 2002 and 2006World Championships and the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. He won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games in the mixed wheelchair rugby event.{{cite web|title=Athlete Search Results|url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?sport=all&games=all&medal=all&npc=all&name=Boxall&fname=Grant&gender=all|publisher=International Paralympic Committee|accessdate=18 May 2012}} 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.{{cite web|accessdate=13 November 2011|url=http://rugby.sports.org.au/2007/news.htm|publisher=Wheelchair Rugby Australia|year=2007|title=Australia Qualifies for Beijing Paralympics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321111054/http://rugby.sports.org.au/2007/news.htm|archive-date=21 March 2012|url-status=dead}} In 2008, he was part of the Australian team that finished first at the Rugby Super Series.{{cite web|url=http://www.wheelchairsports-sa.org.au/newsletters/June08.pdf|accessdate=13 November 2011|date=June 2008|publisher=Wheelchair Sports South Australia|location=Adelaide, South Australia|page=6|title=AUSTRALIA ARE SUPER SERIES CHAMPIONS|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317092709/http://www.wheelchairsports-sa.org.au/newsletters/June08.pdf|archive-date=17 March 2012|url-status=dead}}

In 2001, he played club rugby in New Zealand. In 2005 and 2006, he played for Australia's National Wheelchair Rugby League (NWRL). In 2006, he was playing for a Queensland-based NWRL team.{{cite web|accessdate=13 November 2011|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=7-8380-0-0-0&sID=211117|publisher=National Wheelchair Rugby League|title=NWRL Award History|year=2011}} In 2007, he played club rugby for the first time in the United States. In 2008, he played for the NWRL's West Coast Enforcers, where he was the team's captain.

Boxall has been recognised for his wheelchair rugby performance. In 2001, he was named the Rookie of the year by the National Wheelchair Rugby League. In 2002, he was named the New Zealand Rookie of the Year. In 2005 and 2006, he was recognised as the best in his classification by the National Wheelchair Rugby League. In 2005, he was named the Best in Classification in the New Zealand league.

{{reflist|1}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boxall, Grant}}

Category:Paralympic wheelchair rugby players for Australia

Category:Wheelchair rugby players at the 2004 Summer Paralympics

Category:Wheelchair rugby players at the 2008 Summer Paralympics

Category:Paralympic silver medalists for Australia

Category:Sportspeople with tetraplegia

Category:Sportspeople from Perth, Western Australia

Category:1976 births

Category:Living people

Category:Western Australian Institute of Sport alumni

Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics

Category:People educated at Rossmoyne Senior High School

Category:Paralympic medalists in wheelchair rugby