Shelley Chaplin

Shelley Chaplin started playing basketball when she was 13 years old. Throughout her career, she has twice won silver and captained a team at the Junior National Wheelchair Games. She also won bronze for Australia at the World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in 2002. In 2004, Shelley was one of the youngest members of the Gliders team in Athens, and she describes winning the silver medal there as the biggest thing she has achieved.

After completing her final year of school in 2002, Shelley moved from her hometown of Bendigo to the USA to study Recreation, Sport and Tourism and play basketball for the University of Illinois. She is looking forward to completing her degree and doing some serious travelling,

Although Shelley admires Dawn Fraser, for being both a champion athlete and a fantastic person, she says the most important influence in her sporting career has been her mum as without her she would not be playing basketball.

With a talent for tying lolly snakes with her tongue and known for always having a smile on her face, Shelley describes herself as vivacious, hardworking and fun. Her best advice for others is to strive to be the best you can in everything you do and practises what she preaches in the lead up to Beijing.