More than 20 local business and community groups have joined forces to support Wheeling & Able and help kids with physical disabilities get mobile.

Hosted by Hunter-born gold medalist and Paralympian Liesl Tesch, the ‘Go Wheeling’ charity wheelchair basketball event was held in October at The Forum University and raised more than $6,000 for Wheeling & Able.

The annual wheelchair basketball charity event was created by Liesl Tesch as a fun way to connect with the business and wider community and raise awareness of Wheeling & Able’s work in the community.

“Go Wheeling is all about fun and aims to help create a community that breaks down barriers between physically disabled and able bodied people. This year the players came from local sports teams, businesses, surf lifesaving clubs and the community, some who have really personal stories to share,” Liesl said.

Liesl Tech was joined on the court by local teen Maddison Elliott, who at 15 became the youngest Australian gold medalist in the women’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and dual international Rick Engles who has represented Australia in wheelchair tennis and recently represented Australia at the 2013 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in England.

Federal Member for Shortland, Jill Hall MP attended the Go Wheeling event after speaking in Parliament earlier in October about the important work Wheeling & Able does for young people in the region with a physical disability.

Local media personality and co-founder of The Naked Runners, Dave ‘Robbo’ Robertson commentated the event and after his first year involved has already started talking about Go Wheeling in 2015.

“This is a really important event for the whole community. We wanted to re-create the atmosphere you see at large sporting events like the NBA playoffs to really get the crowd involved. I have already started thinking of new ideas for next year,” he said.

Go Wheeling sponsors included:

• Purser Corporate Communication
• The Forum
• The Naked Runners
• Jirsch Sutherland
• Gosford City Council
• Orica
• Davidson Accountants
• Member for Shortland Jill Hall MP
• Safteybuild
• PDH Accounting
• Rotary Club of Wallsend Maryland
• Newcastle Permanent
• Walk on Wheels
• Stok Marine
• Newcastle Herald
• Sons of ANZAC
• Mary Kay
• Brokenwood Wines

Wheelchair Sports NSW generously donated wheelchairs for the event.

Image | L-R Maddison Elliott, Dave ‘Robbo’ Robertson and Liesl Tesch