Gold medal win for Jayden
Drouin’s Jayden Warn has won gold at the Rio Paralympics.
Jayden was in the winning wheelchair rugby team that took out gold early yesterday morning after defeating the United States in a thrilling double time-on match.
Jayden, 22, began competing in wheelchair rugby four years ago and this was the second international gold medal he has won.
He won gold at the 2014 wheelchair rugby world championships in Denmark in 2014.
The Rio win by one point (59-58) came following a nail-biting double overtime thriller.
It was goal for goal in overtime and with 1.4 seconds to go the Steelers drew level to force a second overtime.
It was the first time the reigning Paralympics and world champions had defeated their US rivals in a major competition.
They also became the first team in history to win consecutive Paralympics and world championship titles in a four-year period.
Jayden was the youngest member of the Australian Steelers squad.
With less than a full games-cycle experience behind him, he was named by the International Paralympic Committee as one of the best 3.0 players in the world and listed on their “ones to watch list.”
Jayden was 16-years-old when he was involved in a car accident between Warragul and Drouin that left him with broken neck and back vertebrates.
It was during his time in the spinal rehabilitation unit in Melbourne that Jayden enjoyed his first taste of wheelchair rugby.
Inspired by the Victorian state players he watched train, he jumped into a rugby chair that same year and quickly fell in love with the roughness and technicality of the sport.
Jayden will return to Australia later this week.