27th June, 2025.
Olympian Jessica Cronje has always been a natural athlete. Having participated in swimming and athletics, it was in wheelchair basketball that she excelled, competing internationally as well as reaching the pinnacle of her sport by representing Australia in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan as a member of the Gliders—the Australian women's national wheelchair basketball team. Jess was born with cerebral palsy but has never let that hold her back. While she was growing up in Wollondilly, sport first appealed for health benefits, but it was her determination and dedication that resulted in her reaching high levels of competition in local sporting clubs and academies. She is currently training with a scholarship at the NSW Institute of Sport for wheelchair basketball. She not only gives back to the community through mentoring young athletes and assisting on games days, but also volunteers with Landcare to help with preservation of the Cumberland Plain area in Menangle. Jess was awarded the Disability Inclusion Award at the Wollondilly 2025 Australia Day Awards for her contributions to her sport and community, and is an inspiration to all.