It was the deciding match point – the one that would determine the winner of the Queensland Wheelchair Football League for 2024.
With sweat beading on Dan van den Hoek’s forehead and the crowd roaring in his ears, he felt the electrifying rush of competition.
Dan led from the centre in that deciding game, which marked the first cup win for the Gold Coast Suns Wheelchair AFL team.
“The photo of me and the captain celebrating after that was my phone background for the last 12 months,” Dan said.
“We weren’t expected to be as competitive as we were.”
A UniSC senior lecturer in clinical exercise physiology and Master of Business Administration student, Dan is royalty in Queensland’s wheelchair sport scene.
He’s a member of the inaugural Queensland Wheelchair Football League and was captain-coach for his club in Brisbane; coach of the Gold Coast Suns Wheelchair AFL team; and vice-captain of the Wheelchair AFL Queensland team last season.
The 38-year-old was involved in a serious car crash in 2005 when he was in Year 12. After multiple surgeries, Dan has lifelong limitations including chronic hip and back pain, and restricted range of motion in his shoulder.
Despite these health setbacks, Dan does not identify as having a disability. He’s largely capable of completing everyday activities, however theses injuries and limitations make him eligible for wheelchair AFL.
An avid AFL fan, Dan was inspired to engage in a in high-level wheelchair sport by his sister Joanna Argaet, who suffered a spinal cord injury at work in 2018 and began playing wheelchair basketball as part of her rehabilitation.
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Joanna was drafted to play wheelchair AFL, went on to captain the Hawthorn premiership team in the Victorian Wheelchair Football League, and was named All-Australian at the Wheelchair AFL National Championships in 2022.
“Watching her play wheelchair basketball and AFL encouraged me,” Dan said.
“It’s been a really nice way to get back involved with a sport that I’ve been really passionate about.”
More than one in five Queenslanders have a disability and thanks to the inclusion of able-bodied players on disabled teams, wheelchair sport participation is growing.
“(Being able) to play without a disability also allows people without a disability who cannot participate in the running game to stay involved in football,” Dan said.
“For example, a young player who ruptures their ACL is not eligible to be classified with a disability, but we can engage them in wheelchair football to keep them involved at the club and participating in sport and competition while recovering from their injury.
“Of course, the other aspect is that they can gain a greater understanding of the difficulties of sports participation and daily life for people with disabilities.”
Dan’s accredited exercise physiologist practice predominantly involves working with para-sports athletes in wheelchair AFL, wheelchair rugby league and para-powerlifting.
It is all part of giving back to the sports he loves and lifting others up despite their limitations.
“I chose to pursue a career in healthcare as a result of my car crash in 2005 and the subsequent experiences I had working with AEPs during my rehabilitation,” he said.
“I want to give people the same opportunities I had when adjusting to life post-injury.”
For Dan, wheelchair sports represent more than entertainment or exercise: they build community and belonging, not defined by limitations but by passion.
Alyssa King is a student at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
