Rachel Henderson

Rachel Anne Henderson (born 8 September 1992) is an Australian goalball player and is classified as a B2 competitor. While only starting playing the game in 2010, she made the national team in 2011 and competed in the 2011 IBSA Goalball World Cup and 2011 African-Oceania regional Paralympic qualifying competition. She was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in goalball.

Personal life Henderson was born in Nuriootpa, South Australia, on 8 September 1992. She has the visual disability of retinitis pigmentosa, a heredity disease she was diagnosed with when she was four years old. As a child, Henderson was involved in javelin, and only stopped competing in 2010 following taking up goalball. She has a goalball scholarship with the South Australian Institute of Sport. In 2011/2012, the Australian Sports Commission gave her a A$7,000 as part of their DAS grant program. She does not play for a state team. Rather, she is coached by Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) Development Coordinator and athletics coach Cathy Lambert. Having not even heard of goalball a few months before, She made the national team in January 2011 at the national trials, and she scored four total goals. which Australia won.

Henderson was a named a member of the Aussie Belles that was going to the 2012 Summer Paralympics. She was the youngest member of the team, and the only South Australian. The country has not medalled in the event since 1976. Going into the Paralympics, the team was ranked eighth in the world.