Ollie Mangion (London Wheelchair Rugby Club)
Born in Malta, he spent his early childhood there before resettling in the UK at the age of seven, he remains with dual nationality, but is very much a man of Kent. Starting wheelchair rugby with his local team Canterbury Hellfire, he now has transferred and plays for London WRC.
Ollie has being on the squad since 2017 where he has featured at tournaments such as the Canada Cup, the Quad Nations series and the 2023 European Championships in Cardiff, where he was part the team who won a silver medal. He will make his Paralympic debut at this years games in Paris.
PREVIOUS PARALYMPICS: 0 (Debut Paris 2024)
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY HONOURS: 2017 European Championship Winner
Exclusive interview available here
Aaron Phipps MBE (London Wheelchair Rugby Club)
Aaron Phipps first heard about the sport in 2008 at a wheelchair racing event and quickly developed a love for it. Invited to GB training, he was selected for the 2009 European Championships where the team finished 4th. Aaron continued to work hard as an integral part of the team and made his Paralympic debut at London 2012.
Aaron took some time away from the international stage to focus on work and his family, returning to high level training in 2017 with his goal to achieve selection back onto the GB team. He was successful, representing GB at the 2018 Quad Nations and remaining on the team ever since.
Aaron has competed in 2 London Marathons and in 2016, he climbed Kilimanjaro, raising £250k for the Meningitis Research Foundation (MSF) and featuring on a Channel 5 documentary. Aaron became the first person in the world to climb in a wheelchair, he spent the final four days on his hands and knees to reach the summit.
PREVIOUS PARALYMPICS: 2 (London 2012 – 5th, Toyko 2021 – 1st)
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY HONOURS: 2019 European Championship Winner, 2021 Quad Nations Winner, Tokyo 2021 Paralympics Gold Medal
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Stuart Robinson MBE (West Coast Wheelchair Rugby Club) (Vice-Captain)
Stuart was on his fourth tour of Afghanistan when he was injured by an improvised explosive device. He was introduced to wheelchair rugby in 2014 during rehabilitation and invited to try out for the Invictus Games being held in London where he came away with the gold medal.
Following this, Stuart became part of the GBWR talent development squad and was then selected to join the ParalympicsGB inspiration programme for the Rio 2016 Games. Stuart then went on to captain the UK team for the Invictus Games in Orlando (2016) and Toronto (2017) where he won a further bronze and silver medal.
He was then invited to GB Elite squad training in November 2016 and became part of the squad who were successful at retaining their European Championship title in 2017 and 2019. His drive and determination to continually improve on and off the court, ensured he was a key part the team during the Tokyo Paralympics, and integral to the teams success when winning the gold medal. In 2023 Stuart was named as the teams vice captain. Stuart is also an ambassador for the RAF Benevolent Fund.
PREVIOUS PARALYMPICS: 1 (Toyko 2021 – 1st)
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY HONOURS: 2014 Invictus Games Gold Medal, 2019 European Championship Winner, 2021 Quad Nations Winner, Tokyo 2021 Paralympics Gold Medal
David Ross (London Wheelchair Rugby Club)
In 2013 whilst playing rugby, Dave sustained a spinal injury during a ruck. At just 18 years old he was a keen sports person and was starting studies in sports science. After leaving hospital, a fellow patient he met during rehabilitation introduced him to wheelchair rugby, and he was instantly hooked. Dave was first invited to GB trials in 2015. He returned to university and fully completed his sports science degree in 2018.
In 2019 Dave moved to England, joining London wheelchair rugby and was also invited to became part the GB talent pathway. Following a few years of hard work both on and off the court, Dave became part the long squad in 2021 and made his GB international debut at the 2022 Canada Cup. The 2023 will be his first Europeans. A dedicated Ulster fan, Dave enjoys watching live sport and spending time with family and friends.
PREVIOUS PARALYMPICS: 0 (Debut Paris 2024)
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY HONOURS: 2022 European Championships Runner-Up
Exclusive interview available here