wheelchair basketball

Ben and Chrissy Hekenui’s life changing journey

IMG_0289EHaving his legs severed off in an industrial accident in 2008 abruptly changed the direction of Ben Hekenui’s life.  He talks to freelance photojournalist Sharyn Smart about life after the accident.

“It was either all of me or a part of me.  And I said you aren’t going to take me!”

Ben’s positive attitude throughout his horrific ordeal comes from a life-time of playing top level sports.

“Through all my sport I’ve had that determination, courage and that never give up attitude – this won’t beat me.”

After 26 years together, his wife Chrissy keeps him in line and keeps him focused.  She has lovingly stood by his side and supported him throughout his ordeal.

“Usually they say the man is the rock but in this case she’s the rock.”

Today the 43-year-old double amputee has a passion for wheelchair basketball and captains the Taranaki RollersTeam.  He has recently been named in the New Zealand training squad.

“If I was still an able-bodied person I wouldn’t have known what wheelchair basketball was like.  I wouldn’t have been Taranaki Person of the Year, Countdown hero or nominated for the Spirit category at the Attitude Awards held on World Disability Day.

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Wheelchair basketballers the New Plymouth Rollers are back

TEAMWORK: The Taranaki Rollers (from left) Kirstie Fairhurst, Paul Salisbury, captain Ben Hekenui, Bregan Handgrove and Malcolm Preston are playing at the national wheelchair basketball championships in Wellington at the weekend. Photo: Andy Jackson/Fairfax NZ
TEAMWORK: The Taranaki Rollers (from left) Kirstie Fairhurst, Paul Salisbury, captain Ben Hekenui, Bregan Handgrove and Malcolm Preston are playing at the national wheelchair basketball championships in Wellington at the weekend.
Photo: Andy Jackson/Fairfax NZ

Taranaki will make their first appearance at the national wheelchair basketball championships at the weekend after a layoff of more than 20 years.

The Taranaki Rollers are aiming for a top-four finish in the second-tier of the championships in Wellington.

Co-coach Jake Mills said the Otago Panthers were the only mystery side in their six-team division.

“We have played four out of the five teams before so we are looking to try to improve,” he said.

His coaching partner Therese Campbell is more confident of success.

“We have a good chance of getting to the semifinals,” she said.

The team, made up of captain Ben Hekenui, Luke Leathers, Kirstie Fairhurst, Bregan Handgrove, Paul Salisbury and Malcolm Preston, has been playing in the New Plymouth social division against disabled players using wheelchairs.

The Rollers are hoping this experience will pay dividends in Wellington.

Campbell said the team still faced difficulties. Some players were using regular day chairs and they didn’t have enough specialised chairs to put two teams out on court at the same time.

“It makes it hard to practice as the team is playing against each other. It doesn’t get the team playing together as we can’t play five-on-five,” Campbell said.

Parafed Taranaki is fundraising for new chairs, customised for each player, at a cost of about $3500 per chair.

“We are trying to raise enough money to purchase customised basketball wheelchairs to have five-on-five games, so any donations are welcome,” Mills said.

New chairs would make the team more competitive at tournaments because other sides presently had the advantage of using customised chairs.

Anyone interested in getting involved in wheelchair basketball or wanting to make a donation can contact Mills at Sport Taranaki.

This article was pubished in the Taranaki Daily News on September 20, 2013.