A native of South Africa, Nick grew up in a sports obsessed family of four siblings. Although he enjoyed a wide range of sporting pursuits, his true passion was basketball, in which he represented South Africa from a young age.

In 1998, just after he finished high school, Nick was involved in a serious car accident that left him paralysed from the waist down. At the time, Nick was leading his team in the South African National Basketball Championship and despite his absence from the grand final, his team would go on to win the national title in overtime. They dedicated the win to their fallen captain, who would also be named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

After many months of hospitals and rehab, Nick learnt to cope with the physical challenges of his new life as a paraplegic. With a great deal of encouragement from family and friends, Nick decided to undertake a Bachelor of Business Science in Cape Town, including spending a year on a wheelchair basketball scholarship at the University of Texas.

Going from strength to strength, Nick then secured a role with a leading international management-consulting firm in Johannesburg and got back to representing South Africa, playing wheelchair basketball in both the World Championships and the Paralympics.

In 2006 Nick immigrated to Australia to build a brighter future for himself in Sydney. He became an Australian citizen and sat out of international competition in wheelchair basketball for three years so he could switch his nationality in order to represent Australia. He did so at the highest level by playing in the London Paralympics in 2012, winning a silver medal and two years later in Korea, he and his team would be crowned World Champions!

Nick’s life is incredibly busy juggling a demanding corporate career, training and being a husband and dad to wife Sonia and sons Mitchell and Bailey.

Nick is the perfect fit for Sargood as he is extremely passionate about helping people with spinal cord injuries regain their independence and about changing the attitudes often displayed by people in the wider community towards this group of people.

The Sargood Foundation is honoured that a positive, motivated and successful man such as Nick is working with us to achieve our mutual goals.