About Sporting Wheelies
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Our Purpose
We make active lives possible.
Vision
Every Queenslander with a disability will have opportunities to live a more active and healthy life.
Mission
Engage, empower and develop people with a disability to live a more healthy, active and fulfilled life of their choosing.
History
Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association has its origins in the 1960s as a small sports club within the Paraplegic Welfare Association in Queensland. Sport for people with spinal cord injuries was gaining in popularity as a result of the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, and the ‘Queensland Sports and Social Club for the Disabled’ played an active role in promoting disability sport and raising funds for Queensland athletes selected for national and international competitions.
In 1977, the club became a registered charity in its own right as the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Sport Association of Queensland and by the following year, the Association had extended its programs and services to include people with physical disabilities other than spinal cord injuries, including people with vision impairment. The decision was made to change to the current name to reflect the Association’s broader mission and capitalise on the popular term ‘sporting wheelies’ to describe wheelchair athletes.
Today, we are widely recognised as a leader in the field of sport and healthy activity for people with a disability by national bodies such as Sport Australia and Paralympics Australia.
Our Board of Directors and CEO
Amanda Mather CEO
Sporting Wheelies CEO Amanda Mather has a glowing history of helping Australians. With a career in healthcare spanning over 25 years, she is passionate about creating a positive community for everybody. Amanda brings to Sporting Wheelies a background in the government, commercial and healthcare sectors. Taking on roles from public relations, marketing, and change management to planning, policy and product development, Amanda brings her experience to improving the opportunities for people with disabilities.
Meet our Board​
Anna Littleboy (Chair)
As the new Chair of our organisation, Anna brings with her extensive experience, having contributed to numerous boards, advisory committees, working parties and expert panels. As CSIRO’s Research Director, Anna is an experienced leader, specialising in strategy, foresight and risk for the resource sector. Having lived experience of disability within the workplace, Anna understands the duty of care within organisations.
Sandie Angus
Sitting on numerous Boards in the disability and sporting sectors, Sandie provides extensive experience to the Board. Sandie displays strong leadership qualities, being part of multiple mentoring programs. Having experience with legal, governance and risk management, Sandie is a valuable member to the Board.
Gary Linton
As a professional CEO/Managing Director with over 30 years’ experience successfully managing and growing a diverse range of companies in Professional Services and System Integration, Gary provides a wealth of knowledge to the Board. Gary is a founder and Managing Director of Linton Howard, Non-Executive Director/Chairman of companies in the education, IT, financial services and construction sectors, providing invaluable experience to the Board.
Andrew Weeden
Focusing on financial oversight, risk, compliance and strategic issues and initiatives, Andrew has a vast array of experience working on Boards. Andrew has national and international experience in the IT, technology, professional services, financial services and resource sectors. With over 25 years’ experience at PwC, Andrew provides broad knowledge of potential issues in commercial and finance areas.
Michael Johnson
With experience in the international Asian markets, Michael provides experience sitting on multiple national and international Boards. Michael has interest in trade, tourism and financial services, however, is particularly passionate across the sporting, cultural and entertainment sectors.
Elaine Jobson
Elaine Jobson is a Fitness Industry veteran having spent 23 years in executive positions working for a number of the large fitness brands. Her roles have taken her all over the globe having worked in Asia, Europe, South Africa and now Australia.
She is best known for teaming up with well-known industry entrepreneurs including Mike Balfour OBE -Founder of Fitness First, Sir Richard Branson owner of Virgin Active South Africa and now Brendon Levenson founder of Jetts Fitness.
Having previously won the Deloitte Best Company to work in South Africa, Elaine is passionate about building successful companies through great cultures and growing exceptional Leaders.
Annual Report
Find out more about Sporting Wheelies and our achievements
Membership
Sporting Wheelies is a membership organisation. Association membership is open to everyone – people with a disability, family members, friends, supporters and volunteers. Everyone is welcome!
Join our Team
Current Opportunities
Corporate and Community Coordinator
Townsville
This position will be responsible for assisting in the day-to-day coordination, administration and project support for Sporting Wheelies Corporate Partnerships including the Raising the Bar school program within Townsville. A particular focus of this role will be the collection and collation of information and deliverables for partnership agreements and reports, facilitating relationships between corporate partners and Sporting Wheelies centres throughout Townsville and planning/coordinating meetings and events.
To be successful, you will have:Â
- Experience planning and coordinating meetings and events including event management, communications, promotions and liaison with key stakeholders
- Strong organisational and project coordination skills
- Demonstrated high level initiative and problem-solving capability
- Passion for Sport and Recreation, Health and Fitness and working with people with a disability
- Demonstrated ability to model a positive and inclusive environment engaging all people and interacting with a range of clientele with diverse backgrounds
- Energetic and strong personal drive and ambition
- Ability to successfully encourage an inclusive, collaborative and team-focused workplace
- Excellent active listening and negotiation skills
- Demonstrated understanding of current disability issues and the NDIS
- Demonstrated skills and/or lived experience in communicating with people with disabilities
Accredited Exercise Physiologist
We are expanding our team and looking for an Accredited Exercise Physiologist to join our highly regarded Health and Fitness Centre based in Albion, Brisbane.
The role
This position will provide specialist advanced therapy and related fitness services to clients, with a wide variety of disabilities including spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, and other neuromuscular conditions. Make your mark on this exciting role working with other health professionals ensuring the progression of client goals.
To be successful, you will:
- Be an excellent communicator who works collaboratively with other health professionals as required.
- Passionate about working with people with a disability.
- Have strong attention to detail, completing clinical and administrative documentation and reports in a timely manner.
- Be confident in providing supervision, mentoring and education support to university clinical placement students as required.
- High level customer service skills, including the ability to identify and support client needs, encourage client participation, and manage client expectations with a mature, sensitive, empathetic and positive manner.
- Excellent active listening and negotiation skills.
- Experience working in a rehabilitation, fitness, health or community-based setting.
- Ability to be involved in work of a highly physical nature.
- Proven clinical experience delivering rehabilitation/exercise sessions for people with a range of disabilities. Experience working with people with neurological conditions highly regarded.
- Demonstrated understanding and adherence to the principles underpinning person centred care, and the rights and responsibilities of people with a disability.
If you are interested, please contact Grace Lines from Our HR team at grace@ourhrteam.com.au
Raising the Bar
Casual positions available for our new Raising the Bar Program.
We are seeking to employ at least 25 Queenslanders living with a disability as Game Changers to create awareness and empowerment amongst the community.
Location: Various locations throughout Queensland.
For more information and a copy of the position description, please contact Raising the Bar, on (07) 3253 3333 today.
Student Placements
Sporting Wheelies actively supports Queensland Universities programs in research and training undergraduate students. In the past year students from 6 Universities have received valuable practical experience at Sporting Wheelies.