Australia has some of the world’s best Olympians and although heroes like Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett get the headlines, we can be just as proud of our intellectually disabled athletes. On the eve of the 12th World Summer Games in Shanghai, we spoke to three of our most inspiring Special Olympians.

WORDS CRAIG TANSLEY

Photo: Mick Toal BureauTwo years ago, it looked like Lisa Keen might never walk again, after she was hospitalised with paralysed legs. Now she’s representing Australia in basketball.

How did your paralysis happen?
I’d had about four fits in a row and was on a lot of medication. I had to go to hospital after each fit, and when I woke up after the fourth one, I tried to walk and couldn’t and just fell back on the bed. I could feel the doctors touching my legs, but I couldn’t move them.

How did it feel to not be able to even walk, let alone play the sport you loved, basketball?
Pretty scary. The doctors weren’t sure what was wrong with me. I had a heap of tests.

What did you have to go through to be able to walk and run again?
Lots of physiotherapy. I couldn’t walk properly for eight weeks. I was in hospital for six of those. I had physio two to three times a week and did lots of exercises.

And you were selected for your state team in basketball only a year after that?
I went back to basketball about a month after I started to walk again. At the selection trials for the New South Wales team, I was really nervous because it was the first time I’d run since the legs had gone.

So what’s your secret?
My desire to get back on court motivated me to walk again. I felt that without basketball I didn’t have anything. I just think that if you have something that you love and want to get back into, it gives you the determination that you need. That, and the support of your family.

Photo: Top Shots PhotographyAndrew Williams is a Special Olympics International Ambassador and basketball star. Despite needing speech therapy until he was 13, he’s now a reputed public speaker.

How hard was it in the first place for you to learn how to talk?
I don’t really remember not being able to talk but my mum does. She says I couldn’t really put a sentence together until I was about six and I had speech therapy until I was 13; I had to learn sign language to express myself.

Does it amaze you that not only are you a public speaker now, you’re also an international ambassador for the Special Olympics?
Yes! When I was chosen as an International Global Messenger I didn’t really know what to expect. When I met the rest of the team in Washington for my first training, they were all very experienced and I was a little nervous, but I was able to learn a lot and now I feel really comfortable talking to people about the Special Olympics and what it can do.

Is it a hard job, teaching people that those with intellectual disabilities need more recognition in the community?
Yes, it is hard. I work with people with different disabilities and every week we have students come in to see what we do.

What do you hope to show other intellectually disabled people?
They see me do all this stuff – I hope they realise they can too. I don’t think any person should miss out on having a happy, normal life. And really, what is ‘normal’? My friends and I are pretty normal. We play sport, go to work, catch up with friends and family, have fun and have goals for the future.

Saxon Graham has Down’s Syndrome, yet competes in both golf and swimming. He’s also appeared on TV programs, including All Saints.

How do you fit in practising sport with all your work with the Special Olympics and Meals on Wheels?
I really like being busy. As well as Special Olympics and Meals on Wheels, I also work two days a week at Woolworths. I train or play four times a week. I fit it in before work or at lunchtime.

When will we see you on TV again?
It’s been six years since I’ve been on TV. Daniel Craig has replaced me – temporarily!

How excited are you about the Special Olympics in Shanghai?
Very excited. It’s the biggest event I’ve ever played in. It feels great to have got to a level where I can represent my country. I feel very proud.

Did you ever dream you’d be representing your country?
That’s a really good question. My honest opinion is that you can only keep trying something as hard as you can and see what happens.

Who are your sporting heroes?
In golf, it’s a junior player called Justin Rose. I like the way he plays; he’s very perceptive and waits for things to happen. In swimming, it’s Elka Graham and Des Renford. Des used to coach me, I was very sad when he died.