Sailing to the Paralympics

Liesl Tesch of Woy Woy will compete in sailing in the Paralympic Games in London.

The five-time paralympian is continuing her quest for an elusive gold medal since retiring from wheelchair basketball and taking up sailing in January last year.

Partnered with Beijing silver medallist Daniel Fitzgibbon in the skud18 class, the high profile pair have already experienced considerable success, winning their first ever competition in the 2011 World Cup meets in Miami and Weymouth and taking home bronze in the 2011 World Championships.

Both Liesl and Daniel were named 2011 Australian Sailors of the Year with a Disability.

The pair was at it again at the 2012 World Championships, claiming a bronze medal followed by gold at the ISAF World Cup to suggest they would be tough to beat at London.

Before changing to sailing, Liesl was one of the most positive and driven players on the Australian women's wheelchair basketball team.

A bike accident in 1998 caused her to turn to wheelchair basketball.

She piloted the Gliders to silver medals at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 and was invited to play professionally in a men's team in Europe.

Liesl competed for teams in Madrid, Sardinia and Paris.

Aiming for gold, the Gliders left Beijing 2008 with a bronze medal.

By the end of her sporting career Liesl said she hoped to have a paralympic medal in every colour.

Never one to focus on the negative, she said she believed she has been given the opportunity to promote and encourage others to take an interest in wheelchair sports.

She has established several basketball clinics for wheelchair users in third world countries in an effort to see those who would not necessarily have the opportunity reach their potential.

Website, 20 Jul 2012

Australian Paralympic Committee