 2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Lees | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National team | Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1977-03-01)1 March 1977 (age 48) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wheelchair rugby | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | 1.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Jason Lees is a wheelchair rugby player from Victoria and was a member of theAustralian Steelers that won the gold medals at the2012 London and2016 Rio Paralympics and competed at the2020 Summer Paralympics.[1][2]
Lees' life changed in June 2000. Lees, a mechanic at the time, was on a motocross circuit inLaverton, Victoria. His bike ran off the track and the resulting accident led to him breaking his neck.[3] He is paralysed from the chest down but has recovered some mobility since the accident, improving to a point where he can 'stand a bit and use my arms a bit.'[3] His partner is Melanie Josephs and they have two girls.[4] He works part-time for Disability Sport and Recreation.[citation needed]
In 2002, Lees started playing wheelchair rugby on a social, non-competitive level.
In 2009, he made his debut for the Victoria state team and theAustralian Steelers. He competed in the 2010 World Rugby Wheelchair Championships, where his team captured a silver medal.[5]
Lees was a member of theSteelers, and they won the gold medal at the2012 London Paralympics. He was a member of the Australian team[specify] that won its first world championship gold medal at the 2014World Wheelchair Rugby Championships atOdense,Denmark.[6]
He was a member of the team that retained its gold medal at the2016 Rio Paralympics after defeating the United States 59–58 in the final.[7]
At the2018 IWRF World Championship inSydney,Australia, he was a member of the Australian team that won the silver medal after being defeated by Japan 61–62 in the gold medal game.[8]
At the2020 Summer Paralympics, the Steelers finishedfourth after being defeated by Japan 52–60 in the bronze medal game. COVID travel restrictions led to Steelers not having a team training since March 2020 prior to Tokyo.[9]
Lees was awarded anOrder of Australia Medal in the 2014Australia Day Honours "for service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games."[10]
Lees announced his retirement from the Steelers in November 2021 and moved to a Development Coach with Paralympics Australia.[11]
