Liesl leads to Beijing

Multiple Paralympian Liesl Tesch of Woy Woy has led the Australian women's basketball team, the Gliders, to the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, following the completion of the Asia Oceania Qualifying Tournament in Sydney recently.

Parramatta Basketball Association media officer Mr Noel Rowsell said the Gliders defeated both New Zealand and Japan to finish at the top of the region, thereby qualifying with second-placed Japan for Beijing.

"Ms Tesch has been an inspiration in basketball for over 10 years, after winning selection in Australia's first international women's wheelchair basketball team in 1993," Mr Roswell said.

"Despite the routine challenges of a career as a school teacher and travelling to exotic foreign locations teaching wheelchair basketball, Liesl has remained focused on playing for Australia and is the only player from the 1993 campaign still competing on the international stage.

"That wealth of experience was evident during the past week, as Liesl guided her young, and some very young, team-mates, including 14-year old Jessica Pellow from Wagga Wagga, to perform at their best against three of the top-ranked nations in women's wheelchair basketball."

Press release, 17 Jun 2007 Noel Rowsell, Parramatta Basketball Association