Karen Farrell (born 24 April 1962) is an Australian wheelchair basketball player, who won two silver medals at the Paralympic Games.

Karen Farrell
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born24 April 1962
Glasgow, Scotland
Medal record
Wheelchair basketball
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney Women's wheelchair basketball
Silver medal – second place 2004 Athens Women's wheelchair basketball

Personal edit

She was born in Glasgow, Scotland. [1] Farrell is from Sydney.[2] She became a paraplegic at the age of fifteen, when a car she was a passenger in slid off the road after trying to pass a truck.[2] At the time of the accident, she was not belted into her seat and sustained back, head and neck injuries.[2] Other passengers in the car who were belted in had much less severe injuries.[2] When she is not competing, she works as an Information Technology Consultant.[2]

Basketball edit

Farrell is a New South Wales Institute of Sport athlete.[3] She has been a member of the New South Wales women's state basketball team and competed at the national championships.[2] In 2001, she was a scholarship holder at the Australian Institute of Sport.[4] In 2000, she was also sponsored by the Motor Accidents Authority in New South Wales.[5]

National team edit

Farrell was a member of Australia's national team by 1994. That year and in 1998, she was part of the Australian team that finished third at the Gold Cup tournament.[2] She won two silver medals as part of the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Paralympics.[6]

Club basketball edit

In 2008, Farrell played her club basketball of the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL)'s Hills Hornets.[7] Her team mates included Liesl Tesch,[7] who was on the same team as Farrell when they earned their 2000 and 2004 Paralympic medals.[8]

Recognition edit

In 2008, Farrell received a Basketball Australia Merit Award.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ Australian Media Guide : 2000 Paralympic Games. Sydney: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2000.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Karen Farrell". New South Wales, Australia: Motor Accidents Authority. 1999. Archived from the original on 8 October 1999. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  3. ^ "NSWIS Olympic and Paralympic Medallists" (PDF). New South Wales Institute of Sport. 2011. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  4. ^ Fogarty, Mick (Winter–Spring 2001). "Medal Honour Roll — AIS athletes" (PDF). AIS Alumni (2 ed.). Australian Institute of Sport: 1. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  5. ^ "Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Success". Parliament of New South Wales. 1 November 2000. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  6. ^ "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Hornets dominate round 1 WNWBL actio". Australia: Basketball Australia. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  8. ^ "WorkCover Authority of New South Wales - Liesl Tesch". WorkCover Authority of New South Wales. 30 August 2009. Archived from the original on 28 March 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  9. ^ "Basketball Australia Merit Awards" (PDF). Basketball Australia Annual Report (2008 ed.). Australia: Basketball Australia: 47. 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2011.