Reema El Qassem's inspiring journey in wheelchair basketball
Reema El Qassem, a 35-year-old mother of four, is a rising star in wheelchair basketball, defying expectations and inspiring a new generation with her remarkable story of resilience and determination. Despite facing numerous challenges, including communication barriers and classification issues, El Qassem is breaking down barriers for disabled women in the sport.
A trailblazing athlete is breaking down barriers for disabled women in wheelchair basketball, inspiring a new generation with her remarkable story of resilience and determination.
Reema El Qassem, a 35-year-old mother of four, has rapidly become one of the most promising young players in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League, defying expectations and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Finding freedom on the court
El Qassem's journey to the sport was not an easy one. She acquired her disability, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), in 2023, which affects how the brain and nervous system function, leading to a variety of neurological symptoms, including walking and speech difficulties, cognitive issues, and chronic fatigue.
After spending 320 days in hospital and taking eight months to adjust to life as a wheelchair user, sport became El Qassem's pathway to normality. She discovered wheelchair basketball, and it was the speed and adrenaline that first attracted her to the game.
“I feel the most alive and the most able when I'm playing sport,” El Qassem said. “For those moments, I'm not thinking about my disability; I'm just an athlete.”
A meteoric rise in the sport
El Qassem plays for the Sydney Uni Lions in the National Wheelchair Basketball League, and her team has made it to both the 2025 and 2026 national league play-offs. Her coach, Paralympian Hannah Dodd, believes that El Qassem's natural talent and speed have been key to her success.
“She's naturally got a really good push on her, and she's got naturally some good speed on her, so we've just been teaching her how to control it and how to use it successfully,” Dodd said. “It's just teaching her the patience and the finesse of things.”
Breaking down barriers for Muslim women
El Qassem is not only an inspiration on the court but also off it. As the first non-verbal and hijab-wearing player in the league, she is challenging traditional notions of who belongs in the game. Muslim women often face additional barriers in sport, such as uniforms that don't meet modesty needs, discrimination, and inflexibility around religious and cultural practices.
Marta Myhill, from Wheelchair Sports NSW, said El Qassem was helping those around her learn about her culture and faith. “In her bringing her culture, wearing her hijab, there's not a problem with that at all,” Myhill said. “Everybody within the wheelchair basketball community has embraced her.”
Communication challenges
As a non-verbal player, El Qassem relies on body language, facial expressions, and a phone app to communicate with her team. However, this can be challenging during games, and the Sydney Uni Lions have been working to find solutions to help her communicate more effectively.
“I can't call out that a pick is coming, call for help, or yell out to my teammates that I'm open,” El Qassem said. “Those are all things I would normally be communicating on court.”
A dream of representing Australia
Despite the challenges she faces, El Qassem's sights are set on representing Australia one day. However, her biggest barrier is getting classified to play at an international level. Her impairment, FND, doesn't fit within eligibility requirements for the sport.
“The problem isn't that the disability isn't real, it's that the current classification system isn't designed around [it],” El Qassem said.