Every stone turned

"Looking back, we were a really tight team," recalls Dan Buckingham of the 2004 campaign that took the Wheel Blacks to Paralympics gold in wheelchair rugby. "Most of us were based in Christchurch. We were training together, day in and day out. After training, we'd head to the mall for lunch. We'd be moving drink bottles around the table, talking tactics the whole time."

Roll on 2008. Most of the Wheel Blacks are now based in Auckland, but the vibe is "replicated," Buckingham says.

The team seizes every opportunity to hone skills and fitness, to be smarter, to refine, to polish – and polish again. They even have a catch-phrase to power the attitude: "Every stone turned".

Buckingham argues the Wheel Blacks are process driven. By this, he means the players focus on the issues confronting them, step-by-step-by-step. They look at what can be done at each particular moment to move forward - through training and through competition. You can't get it right in the game if it's not right in training; you can't win tomorrow if you don't win today.

But over-arching the process, there's the fuel of an uncompromising outcome goal: "to undoubtedly win a gold medal in Beijing". This goal drives into every step of the day by day. "Everything we do, we ask, will it help us win gold," reckons Buckingham.

One of the edges they've sharpening right through the 2008 campaign is video analysis, aided by the Millennium Institute. All members of the team are carded with the New Zealand Academy of Sport, so they have access to the Millennium Institute staff and services.

Jason Healy at the institute has helped them with a SWOT analysis (looking at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) of their opposition. Software called "gamebreaker" has been used to dissect footage of games, move by move.

"We've also analysed ourselves. Jason's filmed us training, then we sit down and analyse what we could do better – and we go back on court and do it. It really helps. Video analysis is another stone we've been overturning," says Buckingham.

Dan Buckingham clashes with Patrick Ryan (Australia) at the 2007 Chris Handy Cup in Invercargill.

Dan Buckingham clashes with Patrick Ryan (Australia) at the 2007 Chris Handy Cup in Invercargill.

He cites another benefit of being carded with the Academy. "Last year, I put my shoulder out. By the end of that same day, I'd had a doctor's visit, scans, a physio appointment. It's a great example that the support system is working. It's a good feeling. It's fairly humbling to have all those people working to help you get back on court," he says.

Buckingham receives a Prime Minister's Athlete Scholarship – which helped him to complete the University studies that went on hold when he broke his neck in 1999. The scholarships are a powerful boost for sport in this country, he says. "There are a lot of elite athletes in New Zealand who wouldn't be competing any more, if it wasn't for the scholarships."

Buckingham also has a lot of praise for Paralympics New Zealand sponsors Mitsubishi and team sponsors like the Uniform Group which kits them out. Team members are not "professional"- most work or study; one is a dad at home. So the support of employers and family has been vital.

"Three of us work at a television production company called RSVP he says. "I'm a researcher and presenter. It's the nature of the beast that we need time off for training and competition. You need understanding employers."

The Paralympics wheelchair rugby competition starts on Friday 12 September, with the first Wheel Blacks game versus Great Britain. Semi finals are scheduled for the 15th and finals for the 16th.
Of the eight teams in the Beijing competition, five could very realistically win: the United States, New Zealand, Canada, Great Britain and Australia. Japan and Germany can't be written off either, Buckingham cautions. The only team generally seen as an outside contender is China.

The Wheel Blacks might be reigning Paralympian champions but it's the United States team which holds the mantle of world champions, after downing the Wheel Blacks in Christchurch, 2006. The States are the team the Wheel Blacks have front of mind.

Training has been a six days a week affair, with double sessions some days. For endurance training, Buckingham has been "hitting the streets" in his normal day chair, which weighs about 10kg compared to his strengthened 15kg rugby chair.

"An average push would be about 10 km, that's about an hour. Around One Tree Hill is one of my favourite circuits," he says. Many weekends, the team has headed out around the Auckland waterfront to Mission Bay in their rugby chairs.

Hard work, indeed. But Buckingham says it's hugely rewarding. "I really enjoy playing – I do it for the love of it. The guys are like whanau. We're really tight. There are no egos. You've got to be doing it because you love it".

At the same time, he believes it's gratifying to see the media "legitimising" the Paralympics and disabled sport in general. "In New Zealand, disabled sport is generally represented very well. The great thing about the fact we get coverage in mainstream media is that it represents not just disabled sport, but the whole disabled community," he says.

"It's a lot tougher on the chairs than the body," Buckingham contends of his sport. "The chairs take a pretty good beating," he says - whereas players are injured only occasionally. His last chair was subjected to a heavy trial of games around the world, including several months in the United States. It lasted a year.

Fortunately, the Wheel Blacks get chairs at a special sponsored athlete price, from Melrose Wheelchairs in Christchurch. "Their chairs are renowned all around the world," he says.

The game of wheelchair rugby is held on a basketball court, with four eight-minute quarters. Total time on court is a lot longer, though, as there's always plenty of dead time. "We have a saying, the game is won or lost in dead time – you're always jostling for position," Buckingham explains.

Each team has four players on court at one time. But altogether you can have up to 11 players and there's plenty of subbing on and off court.

Dan Buckingham got enthused by wheelchair rugby while still in the Burwood spinal unit in 1999. At the first opportunity, he went to watch the Wheel Blacks play, and by 2001 he was on the team. "For the first couple of years I was the rookie," he says. But by 2003 he was a key part of the team. He went to the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, when the Wheel Blacks won gold. Buckingham was appointed captain in 2007.

www.disabilitytv.com is the website of RSVP Productions Ltd and Attitude. Attitude is a television magazine series, funded by New Zealand On Air, covering the lifestyle, issues and interests of people either living with a disability or caring for a person with a disability. Attitude airs on TV One, 9.30am on Sundays.

Updated | 23 Dec 2008.

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