Shae Graham’s initial assessment of wheelchair rugby was brutal. “They are all just trying to kill each other like idiots,” the 37-year-old said, recalling her response almost two decades ago to the documentary Murderball , which follows the US wheelchair rugby team as they prepare for the 2004 Paralympics in Greece. Shae Graham is a librarian by day and a successful wheelchair rugby player by night.
Credit: Simon Schluter Graham was introduced to the film at rehab following a devastating car accident that left the then 18-year-old unable to walk, with a fractured spine and pelvis, brain injury and ruptured bladder. “I think I’m the only one who went to that movie at rehab who actually plays it now,” she laughs. We’re having lunch at Rosa’s Canteen, a bright and airy Italian restaurant that overlooks the Supreme Court in Melbourne’s CBD and is popular among legal types.
We both love Italian food and the first floor restaurant is accessible by lift so it seems the perfect choice. Graham is here to talk about her journey to becoming the first female to represent Australia in wheelchair rugby, as well as her preparation for the upcoming Paralympics in Paris. It will be the second Paralympics that Graham has competed in with her beloved Australian Steelers, one of the world’s most successful wheelchair rugby teams.
The menu is unpretentious and pasta-heavy, perfect for an athlete building up her energy stores ahead of elite competition. Buffalo mozzarella with.