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Justin Eveson, Melissa Marsh and Mark Worthington to be inducted into Basketball WA Hall of Fame

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Craig O'DonoghueThe West Australian
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Justin Eveson, Melissa Marsh and Mark Worthington will be inducted into the Basketball WA Hall of Fame on Saturday night.
Camera IconJustin Eveson, Melissa Marsh and Mark Worthington will be inducted into the Basketball WA Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Credit: Simon Santi/The West Australian

Mark Worthington, Melissa Marsh and Justin Eveson will be honoured for their outstanding careers on Saturday night with induction into the Basketball WA Hall of Fame.

The ceremony, which will take place during the Basketball WA Awards night, will see the trio become the second set of Hall of Fame inductees following last year’s launch.

Worthington played for Australia at two Olympic Games, Marsh is the games record holder at the Perth Lynx and Eveson won a Paralympic gold medal as one of the biggest names in his sport.

Eveson lost his right leg below the knee in an accident at just 12 and turned to swimming where he won a silver and bronze medal at the 2000 Paralympics. But after switching to wheelchair basketball, despite never living in a wheelchair, he became one of the world’s most dominant players.

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Such was his influence, he won the Sandy Blythe Medal in 2008 as Australia’s best player in international games during the same year where the country won Paralympic gold.

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“My dream was to be an international athlete,” Eveson said.

“I used to watch the Wildcats playing and I wanted to be like that. I hadn’t even sat in a wheelchair before so basically I decided to live in the chair at the old Perry Lakes and practice. There was nobody else there, so I’d stay all day trying to get better. There’s no substitute for hard work and putting the time in.

“Then I went overseas and played or trained every day. I wanted to be the best I could be and wear the green and gold. I took the discipline from swimming training where you can train 15 times a week and brought that desire to basketball.

Justin Eveson in action for Australia.
Camera IconJustin Eveson in action for Australia. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images

“My dad instilled in me that there’s no point complaining about what’s happening now. You simply have to do something to make things change and get better.”

Eveson also won two Paralympic silver medals, two world championship gold and one bronze medal, along with a string of championships in Australia and Europe. His performances led to being one of the six nominees for the 2010 Laureus World Sportsperson Of The Year With A Disability.

Eveson said the 2008 Paralympic gold medal was the culmination of extreme hard work from that squad

“We expected to win. If wasn’t if we’re going to win or how are we going to win, it was simply we are going to win this gold medal. Losing wasn’t part of the vocabulary,” he said.

Justin Eveson with his 2008 Paralympic gold medal.
Camera IconJustin Eveson with his 2008 Paralympic gold medal. Credit: Simon Santi/The West Australian

The 42-year-old will join players such as Luc Longley, Andrew Vlahov and his 2008 gold medal winning teammate Brad Ness in the BWA Hall of Fame.

“We have produced some of the most magnificent basketballer players in the world, so to be in that company is humbling,” he said.

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