2021 Hall of Fame Inductee – Player
Kylie Gauci’s story is as inspirational as it gets.
Born in 1985 with lumbar sacral agenesis, a condition where she is missing the lower part of her spine, Kylie refused to let her disability define her, and began playing wheelchair basketball as an 10-year-old in 1995, when a meeting with the legendary Gerry Hewson at a Wheelchair Sports NSW multi-sport kids Christmas camp would set in motion a career to be cherished and admired.
After a stellar junior career that saw Kylie represent her state and become a part of the national junior team when she was just 14, she resolved herself to play for her country at senior level after seeing the Australian Gliders participate in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.
In 2002, she was selected to play for the Gliders while still a teenager, and she has since represented Australia in no fewer than three Paralympics, winning medals on each occasion. Incredibly, she has represented her country with distinction for 17 years, including appearances in five World Championships – garnering a World All-Star 5 nod at the 2006 championships held in Amsterdam – and has played a total of 255 games for Australia.
Kylie has also been a standout at domestic level, where she was awared the season’s most valuable player seven times in the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) from 2003-2022 and named in the All-Star 5, 17 times from 2001-2022. Such is her talent and determination, she has also competed in the men’s NWBL since 2001 till 2015.
2022 Basketball NSW Hall of Fame
Date: 26th November 2022
Time: Pre-drinks at 6 pm, with formalities commencing at 6:30 pm
Venue: Novotel, Sydney Olympic Park
Tickets: Purchase your ticket HERE