https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/local-sport/big-read-life-changing-tragedy-puts-wheelchair-rugby-league-duo-on-world-cup-path/news-story/a60f1b257e73147b99be223daf470b02?fbclid=IwAR2PdXWTDwaaIH1f85nhVAdXUm-FAXTMVMkg9zZsrIP3eb-MC_7PZUJEuvM Whether it was a twist of fate or coincidental timing which led Darren McKenna to wheelchair rugby league he is not sure. However the way in which he has seen his son excel out of his own tragedy has him at peace with the events which changed his life. After losing his leg in a 2006 motor accident four hours west of Townsville, McKenna admits the anguish took a massive toll on him. He was stranded in a hospital bed, a man who had always been on the move now reduced to “tearing his hair out” unsure of what his next move would be. But eventually he found wheelchair rugby league, a sport in which his son Bayley has jumped on board with. Now, the junior McKenna is thriving. Bayley was an integral member of the Northern Marlins recent State Championship success, coached by his father, and has now been named to line up for the Queensland State of Origin side. World Cup selection also beckons. A partnership which has been flourishing for 15 years now is on the cusp of international glory. FINDING THE CODE
Following McKenna’s accident, his left leg could not be saved and required amputation. He said about 46 surgeries were required to keep his right leg. Because of that, he was unable to put any weight on his prosthetic for two-and-a-half years. It was an ever-enduring psychological struggle, constantly at odds as to where he would find his next source of motivation. McKenna said a friend came to visit him in hospital one day in an attempt to convince him to play wheelchair basketball. At first he was resistant, unable to risk causing further damage to his right leg. However when he found out the same friend had died, he felt compelled to compete again. It was not just for his benefit, but to fulfil a promise. From wheelchair basketball came athletics, where McKenna found Oceania success in discus, with a young Bayley collecting every throw. “Whether it was timing or meant to be I don’t know, but he started playing rugby league as an under-6 and I lost my leg at the same time,” McKenna said. “He was always involved, anything I was involved with he was there. From when I first lost my leg when he was six it didn’t matter what I wanted or needed he would do it.” In their search for the next activity which could continue strengthening the bond between the pair, McKenna became drawn to wheelchair rugby league. Bayley in turn quit able bodied rugby league and strapped himself into a chair, yet another war he could engage with alongside his dad. From there, he has never looked back. SUCCESS BY CHANCE A bone infection forced McKenna to give up playing the sport, however there was still a drive to be involved. He became an elite coach in the wheelchair rugby league world and has seen the impact it has on the “menagerie of people from different walks of life”. From Garry “Bust ‘Em Up” Best – 49, living with Down syndrome but packed with unrivalled determination – to fellow family duo Tyson and Kirralea Shannon, McKenna sees plenty of talent to harness. But in Bayley there are the makings of a future World Cup champion. And his ascent to the top occurred, in part, by pure chance. At a 2019 training camp, he came down as an extra due to another athlete pulling out. By the end of it all, five selectors – including McKenna – were required to write down the names of those who they believed deserved a shot in the Australian ‘train on’ squad. Each list was the same, except one. “I didn’t pick Bayley, they all did,” McKenna said. “I said he didn’t come to be selected, but they said he played that well and he deserved a shot. “To be honest he knows his job, he knows what’s expected of him. On the court, he knows what he has to do and where he wants to be. I don’t have to teach him too much. “He has natural football ability.” Those abilities were integral to the Marlins success last weekend, going through the competition undefeated – taking down the Central Queensland Crows in the final 84 to 48. Their performances coincided with Bayley and Townsville teammates Zac Schumacher, Peter Arbuckle and Adam Tannock selections for the Maroons. OBSTACLES TO THE TOP The plight the McKenna’s and their fellow North Queensland competitors face is the cost of reaching the elite level. In Townsville the local competition is in its infancy, having recently completed its first three-team tournament with another on the cards for 2021. However it pales in comparison to what their New South Wales rivals have access to. South of the Tweed there are a host of outfits affiliated with the NRL clubs, and the tyranny of distance has not made the impact it has on regional Queensland. With a World Cup in England coming up in November, McKenna said there were such hefty costs for travel, chairs and facilities they were in need of sponsorships if they were to ever reach their full potential – particularly those whose cards they had been dealt hindered them physically. While he was full of praise for the support they had received from the QRL and TDRL, he said it was a constant financial battle in dire need of more support if they were to help their athletes reach the pinnacles of the sport. And he has called on the Townsville business community to reach out. “We have some real champions inside the QRL and TDRL, Ross Anderson is one of our biggest backers. We have Scott Nosworthy and Rob Hall, those three are really getting behind us and giving us a big push,” McKenna said. “We’re building three trailers to move our chairs around. Mount Isa want a game day out there, so we can put the chairs on the trailer and take it to the bush. We can take it to Cairns, Mackay and get it (the sport) out there. “We’ve got to keep the skills going with some of these guys. There’s no point if you take three months out of a wheelchair.”
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorFeature stories with the Townsville Bulletin. ArchivesCategories |