The star of Australian wheelchair rugby is refusing to retire at the age of 35 after six Paralympic Games. Ryley Batt claimed his fourth medal in six Paralympic Games after winning bronze last Thursday. The Para athlete, led Australia to bronze in Paris by beating Great Britain to add to his collection of two gold and one silver medal.

He made his debut at Athens 2004 and holds the record for most Paralympic appearances by an Australian, alongside wheelchair basketball players Tristan Knowles and Shaun Norris. Great Britain's Sarah Storey, a former swimmer and current cycling specialist, holds the absolute record for Paralympic appearances with nine.

"I haven't left the court for a minute, I'm pretty exhausted," Batt told AFP after scoring more than half of his team's points in their 50-48 bronze medal win over Great Britain. When you get the chance to wear the green and gold and represent Australia, you give it everything you've got," Batt said.

"It's not the end, it's something I'll assess later. I just want to be able to give back to those who have supported me," the Paralympic rugby star explained. "For now, I want to enjoy the little things in life and when I'm happy with that, I'll look at sport again," the Port Macquarie native added. 

Batt was born without legs and refused to use a wheelchair until the age of 12, preferring a skateboard for mobility. Three years later, at the Athens Paralympics, he became the youngest wheelchair rugby player at the Games. But he says the standard has risen considerably since then.

"The whole sport has changed drastically in the last 20 years," said Batt. "Any of these top eight teams would wipe the floor with the gold medal winning teams from those Games. They wouldn't even be within 20 points of them. You can see the intensity out there, the pressure we put on ourselves," Batt added.

In addition to Paralympic gold medals at London 2012 and Rio four years later, Batt led Australia to the 2022 World Championships. In Paris, they narrowly missed out on the gold medal match with a heartbreaking one-point loss to Japan in the semi-finals.

The bronze medal was "bittersweet", but Batt added: "It's something to be proud of," said the Australian. Reflecting on the defeat and the missed opportunity for gold, Batt did not hide his frustration. "I am disappointed and I will remember some of the mistakes we made in the semi-final. We probably could have and should have been in the gold medal match. It was really heartbreaking."

"I've never felt so low in sport, more than any other defeat I've ever had. To be able to pick up the pieces and win the bronze and bring that back to our friends, families and everyone who supported us, that's what it's all about," he added.

Batt is regarded as the greatest wheelchair rugby player of all time due to his medal haul, longevity and scoring prowess. After the Paralympics, Batt will spend some time in Paris and then London for a friend's wedding before returning to his cattle farm in Queensland. "We're going to fly back home and I'm going to enjoy some time on my farm, where my partner and I live, and spend some time with my cows," he concluded.