Jack Smith (wheelchair rugby)
 Jack Smith, member of the GB Wheelchair Rugby team at Tokyo Paralympics 2020. | |||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jack Smith | ||||||||
| Nationality | British | ||||||||
| Born | 19 June 1991 Stockton-on-Tees | ||||||||
| Home town | Sedgefield | ||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||
| Sport | Wheelchair rugby | ||||||||
| Team |  Great Britain | ||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||
| Paralympic finals | Tokyo 2020 | ||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||
Jack Dalziel Smith MBE (born 19 June 1991) in Stockton-on-Tees is a British wheelchair rugby athlete and member of the Great Britain national wheelchair rugby team where the team won the final on 29 August 2021 and received gold medals.[1][2] He was chosen to represent Great Britain at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.[3]
Biography[edit]
In 2008, at age 16, Jack was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma. A few weeks after this diagnosis, while playing rugby for Billingham RUFC he was injured in a ruck incident. Jack sustained a fracture-dislocation of several vertebrae and spinal cord compression, which resulted in paralysis from the chest down.[4] He had spinal surgery at North Tees Hospital and spent three months' rehab at James Cook University Hospital spinal unit.[5]
Just over a year later and Jack was back playing rugby, only this time in a wheelchair. He took up the sport in 2009 at the North East Bulls club, the region's only wheelchair team.
Jack moved on to Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby club, and through many years hard work and dedication, to a place in the Great Britain team. Following his selection for the GBWR team Jack said: "This has been my dream for six or seven years and right now I'm so excited. My parents, brother, sister and my girlfriend have been so supportive and, although it's not possible for them to watch, they are over the moon for me."[5]
Smith was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to wheelchair rugby.[6][7]
References[edit]
- ^ "ParalympicsGB | Jack smith".
- ^ "Sedgefield's Jack Smith wins Paralympic gold as part of wheelchair rugby team". 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Team GB Paralympian Surprised to Find Uncle Piloting Tokyo Flight". 20 August 2021.
- ^ Chronicle, Evening (24 October 2009). "Paralysed rugby teen's fight to return to action". ChronicleLive.
- ^ a b "RFU". www.englandrugby.com.
- ^ "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N25.
- ^ "Wheelchair rugby's Jack Smith and St Teresa's Hospice boss on honours list". BBC News. 31 December 2021.
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- 1991 births
- Living people
- British disabled sportspeople
- Paralympic wheelchair rugby players for Great Britain
- Wheelchair rugby players at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Sportspeople from Stockton-on-Tees
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Paralympic gold medalists for Great Britain
- Sportspeople from County Durham
- Members of the Order of the British Empire
- British sportspeople stubs
- Wheelchair rugby biography stubs