Before there were professional pathways, before wheelchair basketball received the recognition it deserved, Liesl Tesch was changing the game.
A five-time Paralymian in wheelchair basketball, a three-time Paralympic medallist, and later a two-time Paralympic gold medallist in sailing, Liesl’s sporting résumé is almost impossible to comprehend. She became the first woman in the world to play professional wheelchair basketball, competing against men in Europe and helping pave the way for generations of female athletes who followed.But medals and milestones only tell part of the story.
Liesl joins The Perfect 10 to reflect on a remarkable journey that has taken her from regional New South Wales to the world’s biggest sporting stages. She shares the challenges of growing up with a disability, the mentors who shaped her life, the evolution of Paralymic sport, and the lessons she’s learned from a lifetime of resilience, courage and determination.This is a conversation about breaking barriers, redefining what’s possible, and using sport to create lasting change.
Liesl Tesch AM is one of Australia’s greatest Paralymians, a sporting pioneer who rightly sits in both the Basketball Australia and Sailing Australia Hall of Fame.
Liesl now serves as the Member for Gosford in the New South Wales Parliament, where she continues to champion inclusion, opportunity and community.
This is an episode you’ll never forget.
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