Wheelchair Sports Experience Presenters

Brendon Talbott

Brendon has been involved with Wheelchair Sport NSW/ACT since 1981 when he started as a junior athlete competing in sports such as athletics, swimming, basketball, and table tennis. As an adult Brendon specialised in Wheelchair Tennis giving him many opportunities to travel both within Australia and overseas.

Brendon has been a part of our Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT Experience team since 2006. Brendon says this has been a fantastic time for him, every day working as a presenter brings new challenges and the chance to meet new people. Brendon really enjoys the experience of not only delivering a vital message to young people about road safety and risk taking but also raising more disability awareness and delivering a positive message about the benefits of Wheelchair Sport across Sydney and regional NSW & ACT.

Brendon is an excellent presenter who will engage with your participants in a fun and interactive way.

Stephan Rochecouste

Stephan Rochecouste was born with spina bifida and has been involved with Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT for as long as he can remember. Stephan played wheelchair tennis from the years of 2006-2017 before transitioning into wheelchair rugby league.

Stephan has been involved with the Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT Experience since the beginning of 2020. Being able to deliver such a fantastic road safety and disability awareness program right across NSW and the ACT is something that Stephan finds truly rewarding as it not only gives him the platform to teach new things to young people, but also the opportunity to close the gap of understanding when it comes to knowing disability as a whole and how young people can show empathy and inclusive behaviours for all.

Stephan is a professional presenter and facilitator who will make sure your day is both educational and fun.

Rick Engles

Rick was born in Gosford NSW with spina bifida and permanently uses a wheelchair, he comes from a very sporty family and is in the middle of 3 boys. Rick started playing wheelchair basketball at the age of 6, mostly playing at a social level and then playing at a National league level 2013-2017 finishing runner up in his final season.

When Rick was 10, he moved to The Netherlands and lived there for 8.5 years, this is where he started playing wheelchair tennis and indoor wheelchair hockey on the side for fun.

Rick played tennis for 15 years, travelling to 12 countries and competing in tournaments for ranking points, reaching a career high #42 in Singles. Rick competed in 3 World Team Cups, in 2013, he played one season of wheelchair rugby league, with a highlight being selected to represent Australia in a World cup, finishing 4th of 6 teams competing.

When attending a Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT Come n' Try day with the Roadshow in 2016, Rick somehow got into Badminton, a sport he never thought he would get involved with. Rick started competing in Badminton in 2017 and has now moved on to play basketball on a social level so he can enjoy more family time.

Rick has been involved with the Wheelchair Sports Experience since 2005 and really enjoys travelling to all corners of NSW and spreading the important Road Safety and Disability awareness messaging.

Robert Piper (Coffs Harbour)

Robert had polio as a baby

 but was determined to be better than what he was.

After school sport at Baradine in western NSW, he went on to Captain Coach Walgett Rugby League Reserve Grade and First Grade, and played league until the age of 34. Later in his 40’s and 50’s he played indoor cricket, netball, touch football and basketball. In his late 40’s he was selected in the Australian Masters Basketball Team to play four representative matches in China, on a two-week tour.

In his 50’s Robert played mixed netball, touch football and basketball and coached his sons’ soccer and league teams for 6 years. A serious motor vehicle accident at age 58 caused severe left leg damage and Robert could no longer run but was still keen to play sport. Just before his 60th birthday Robert became involved in wheelchair basketball with the newly formed Parkes Forbes team. As the only adult amongst some enthusiastic youngsters he naturally took on an assistant coaching and mentoring role.

Robert’s first Country Cup was in 2016 and since moving to Coffs Harbour in 2017 he has become the contact person for Wheelchair Sports NSW in the Coffs Harbour Region and President of Wheelchair Sports Coffs Harbour. He has played in many wheelchair basketball competitions in NSW and Qld and also done some long-distance hand-cycling races and played some wheelchair tennis. He has taken wheelchair basketball to several schools in the Nambucca Valley and coached young players, with one making it to the state squad.

Robert enjoys helping young people develop their potential and know what opportunities there are for inclusive sports. He is also keen to remind them that "being an idiot behind the wheel of a motor vehicle can kill and he was very lucky to crawl away from his accident, and live to find wheelchair sports"

Hayley Slocombe

Hayley was 5 days old when she acquired her spinal cord injury, where during an emergency cardiac operation she became paraplegic. However, through the challenges that this proposes in her life she has always remained positive and hasn’t let it slow her down…

Hayley is now an elite para-athlete ranked in the top 50 players internationally in Wheelchair Tennis. Her passion for sports is encouraged by Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT, as she has been involved with them for over 12 years.

Currently studying a Bachelor of Secondary Education, Hayley also has a passion for teaching. Especially on matters of inclusion for those with disabilities and sports. She believes that education is a highly valuable tool in keeping young people safe on our roads, as well as building empathy and understanding of inclusion in communities. 

Desmond Cross 

Desmond had a work place accident 6.5 years ago which left him with an incomplete spinal cord injury. He was a dual traded person before his injury, and found it hard to find his place until he became a member of Wheelchair Sports nsw 3 years ago. He now has a passion for showing people that a wheelchair is not a set back but just an obstacle that can be worked with. 

Des lives in the central west NSW, has been with his wife for 18 years and they have 5 children together.

He has been playing competitive lawn bowls in a wheelchair and has made the NSW squad. 

Des enjoys social basketball and rugby league with a group of fun people. 

Catherine Rae

At age 38 Catherine suffered a Spinal Cord Injury in 2008 due to a fall. A huge change of lifestyle followed. She had always been a highly independent person and this hasn’t changed since her injury. 

Catherine grew up on a farm in Narrabri NSW, rode horses from the age of 2 and continued to do so up to her injury. She competed in the sports of Campdrafting and Polocrosse. After her injury Catherine was able to do neither of these again due to the physicality of the sports.  Due to friends and family still competing in Polocrosse she started to attend carnivals armed with a camera in her power wheelchair taking photos of everyone. This gave her a way of staying involved in the sport. 

After some time, Catherine really missed the team environment of sport and there was nothing really available in Tamworth in this area. After a visit to Sargood on Colleroy in Sydney in 2018 and having a go at a Wheelchair NRL come and try day, she decided to try and get Wheelchair Sports going in Tamworth so she could participate in sports somehow again.  A few like minded people came on board and are now meeting weekly at the Tamworth Sportsdome to play Wheelchair Basketball mainly but are open to other games as needed. 

Sport is such an important part of Catherine's life, not only physically but mentally. She tries to make it a fun, inclusive time for everyone.