# Reema El Qassem Pioneers Wheelchair Basketball as First Non-Verbal, Hijab-Wearing Athlete

> Reema El Qassem joined the Sydney Uni Lions within seven months of starting rehabilitation for Functional Neurological Disorder, becoming the first hijab-wearing, non-verbal player in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-20T21:09:26.867719Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/reema-el-qassem-pioneers-wheelchair-basketball-as-first-non-verbal-hijab-wearing-athlete-e74a990f

Reema El Qassem, a single mother of four, has become the first hijab-wearing, non-verbal athlete in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) [1][5][6][7][8]. She joined the Sydney Uni Lions within seven months of commencing rehabilitation, helping the team secure a runner-up finish in the 2025 national championships [4][13]. By 2026, with El Qassem on the team, the Sydney Uni Lions reached the national league play-offs again [8][14].

Her journey highlights the power of adaptive sports to transform lives and build community for individuals facing significant health challenges.

## What the Records Show

El Qassem's entry into wheelchair basketball followed a diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) in 2023, a condition that impairs brain and nervous system function and rendered her non-verbal [8][14]. After spending 320 days in the hospital, she began rehabilitation at the Advance Rehab Centre (ARC) [2][3][4][13]. Her communication relies primarily on her phone [1]. Within seven months of starting her rehabilitation, El Qassem joined the Sydney Uni Lions, an Australian team in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League [4][8][13][14]. She is recognized as the first hijab-wearing, non-verbal athlete in the league, a significant first within her sporting community [1][5][6][7][8]. Mick Garnett, CEO of Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT, noted that her involvement educates the community about her culture and faith, particularly in a sport that demands high levels of communication [10].

## Timeline

In 2023, Reema El Qassem was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder, which caused her to become non-verbal [8][14]. She subsequently spent 320 days receiving hospital care [2][3]. Following her hospitalization, El Qassem began rehabilitation at the Advance Rehab Centre [4][13]. Within seven months of starting rehabilitation, she joined the Sydney Uni Lions in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League [4][13]. The team achieved a runner-up position in the 2025 national championships with El Qassem [4][13]. In 2026, the Sydney Uni Lions, with El Qassem as part of the team, again reached the national league play-offs [8][14].

## What Changed and For Whom

Wheelchair basketball provided El Qassem with a new sense of purpose and community following her FND diagnosis and extensive hospitalization [4][8][13]. As a single mother, the sport offered a pathway to feeling

## Evidence cited
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