Background
Richie was born on 28 December 1963 in Manly, New South Wales. Her father Ray played first grade rugby league for Manly Sea Eagles and was first grade coach from 1981 to 1982.
Richie was born on 28 December 1963 in Manly, New South Wales. Her father Ray played first grade rugby league for Manly Sea Eagles and was first grade coach from 1981 to 1982.
She was part of the silver medal winning Australia women"s national wheelchair basketball team at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. Her parents were Ray and Georgina with siblings Sharon and Raymond. At the age of 23, Ritchie broke the T5 and T6 vertebrae in her spine after falling backwards from a stone wall at Manly Beach.
During the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, she met Dutch wheelchair basketballer Koen Jansens.
In the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, Ritchie was the Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee"s Community Relations Manager. Since December 1995, she has been a New South Wales Institute of Sport Board Member.
In 2015, she is the General Manager, Investment, Telstra Business. and a New South Wales Institute of Sport Board Member. Basketball Ritchie whilst recovering from her accident in hospital saw wheelchair basketballers training and this led to her taking up the sport.
Her wheelchair basketball classification is 1.5 points.
She attended three Paralympics Games - 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney. She was vice-captain at the 1992 Games and captain at the 1996 and 2000 Games. Manly Pathway of Olympians
Australian Sports Medal
Northern Beaches Sporting Hall of Fame - inducted in 2003.
Ritchie was a member of the Gliders at three World Championships - 1990, 1994 and 1998.
