Rebound WA had its genesis when wheelchair sport was introduced in 1954 at Shenton Park Rehabilitation Hospital – an Australian first. Originally seen as purely providing physical therapy, wheelchair sports soon developed into a range of fiercely contested competitions. In 1989 the Wheelchair Sports WA Association was born to facilitate sporting competitions.
Since then, we have worked with many WA sporting associations, run competitions for a range of sports, grown our service delivery adding a variety of social and recreational opportunities and provided an active community that provides support and mentoring.
Essentially we have enabled a lot people in WA with physical disability to explore possibility and improve their quality of life.
Significant Contributions
There are many people who have influenced our journey through their commitment, enthusiasm and achievements, but none more so than Sir George Bedbrook and John (Johnno) Johnson.
Sir George Bedbrook was a doctor and surgeon who pioneered the treatment of spinal injuries in Australia out of Shenton Park. His core philosophy was that involvement in competitive and team sports improved both the physical and mental well-being of people with spinal injuries. This philosophy continues to be reflected today in all that we do. He was also a driving force in creating the Australian Paralympic movement and the Commonwealth Paraplegic Games.
Employed as a physiotherapist Johnno Johnson worked along side Sir George Bedbrook at the first Spinal Unit in WA at Shenton Park, developing a unique program. His belief that strenuous exercise was beneficial for patients with spinal injuries was radical at that time. Johnno was passionate and disciplined and became the motivator for many young Western Australians with physical disability who chose to get into competitive sport. He attended three Paralympic Games, two Commonwealth Games and many interstate competitions as the team manager.