Powering Forward: Introducing APFA’s New Board
A new chapter begins for Australian Powerchair Football, with new leadership driven by ambition, purpose, and unity. We’re proud to welcome our newly appointed Board: a dynamic team of leaders, advocates, and collaborators dedicated to growing the sport and uplifting every athlete across Australia.
Bringing fresh skills, bold energy, and a shared commitment to inclusion, this Board is ready to listen, learn and lead. The insights and perspectives of members with lived experience remain central to shaping our direction, guiding us with authenticity, care, and impact.
We are taking deliberate steps to uplift the sport, celebrate the achievements of our incredible state and club communities to date, and lay the foundation for future success. With eyes firmly set on Paralympic inclusion and supporting the Poweroos, our goal is to elevate the prestige of international events like the Asia Pacific Oceania Powerchair Football Cup, which will be held in Brisbane in October and the FIFPA Powerchair Football World Cup in Argentina in 2026. We are stepping into this chapter with determination and pride.
Together, we are not just imagining the future of Powerchair Football, we are building it. Let’s get started.
Sincerely,
Kristy Yeadon
President – Australian Powerchair Football
Kristy Yeadon – President
Kristy is a values-led leader with a strong foundation in medical devices, sports science, and health. With deep experience in leading teams through complex challenges and building high-impact partnerships, she brings a sharp strategic lens and a collaborative spirit to the role. Passionate about unlocking growth through stakeholder engagement and shared vision, Kristy is committed to championing both grassroots participation and elite pathways in Powerchair Football. Energised by the journey ahead, she warmly invites clubs, coaches, and community leaders to connect – let’s listen, learn, and lead this next chapter together.
Joanne Power – Vice President
Joanne Power is a dynamic marketing professional with extensive experience across the UK, Europe, and Australia in the sport, retail, and FMCG industries. She brings this expertise to her role as Vice President of the Australian Powerchair Football Association, advocating for inclusion and growth within disability sport. Joanne has a proven ability to lead teams, develop customer-focused strategies, and deliver events and campaigns that drive engagement and impact. Passionate about using data and storytelling to connect communities, Joanne is committed to growing awareness of Powerchair Football and supporting athletes to reach their potential on and off the court.
Emma Cushing – Secretary
Emma is a healthcare industry professional whose background includes work at private, multinational companies and roles within public health. She is experienced in strategy and digital healthcare with strong communication and stakeholder management skills. She enjoys working on projects with purpose and achieving outcomes that provide benefit to individual consumers and the broader community.
Jason Ryan – Treasurer
Jason is a dedicated paramedic, passionate advocate, and proud parent of a child with a disability. Drawing from both personal and professional experience, Jason has become a powerful voice in the disability sports community. He currently serves as the President of the NSW Powerchair Football Association (NSWPFA), where he champions inclusive sport and junior development. After years of supporting his son from the sidelines, Jason stepped into a leadership role as Head Coach of the Sydney FC Powerchair Football Team, helping young athletes thrive and pushing the sport forward in Australia. As a board member of APFA, Jason will continue to work toward improving access to sports for those with disabilities, believing that positive and long lasting community engagement can be obtained through sport.
Rebecca Evans
Rebecca Evans is a Powerchair Football athlete and a current member of the Australian ‘Poweroos’ squad. She is currently studying a PhD looking into the interaction between support and social participation for people with physical disability. Rebecca has a background of volunteering within the disability advocacy sector, including on boards, and is passionate about improving the lives of people with disability.
Chris Turnbull
Chris “Tutz” Turnbull is an experienced and passionate member of the Powerchair Football playing group. Having founded Central Coast Mariners (2010) and Hills United (2019) powerchair teams and captaining Hills United to 2 NSW Premierships and 1 National Championship. Chris holds the record for games played for both NSW and Australia. After retiring from representative Football Chris has moved his attention to administrative efforts to help the next generation. Outside of Powerchair Football Chris holds a Bachelors of Science (Forensics) from Western Sydney University. Chris’ family has a strong connection to football in Australia having founded Sydney FC and been heavily involved with operation of Central Coast Mariners in the A-League.
Izzi Harman
Izzi is an occupational therapist, researcher, and disability advocate with a strong commitment to inclusion, access, and community connection. Her work spans clinical practice, research, and grassroots advocacy, with a particular focus on physical disability and progressive neuromuscular conditions. Izzi has been actively involved in powerchair football for the past five years across both NSW and QLD, including serving on the QPFA board and playing a key role in establishing grassroots powerchair football in Brisbane. Izzi has undertaken her classification training and is looking forward to putting these skills into practice at the APO in October. She is passionate about creating opportunities for people with disability to live meaningfully, connect with others, and participate fully in sport and community life, and is excited to support the sport’s growth.
Ed Steane
Ed brings a background in law, public policy, and governance strategy to the Australian Powerchair Football Association board. He has significant experience advising government and not-for-profit organisations on strategy and governance, policy and effective decision-making. This includes a leadership role in the NSW government’s recent development of Community Improvement Districts legislation, and co-chairing Circular Australia’s Precincts and Infrastructure Taskforce. Ed comes to the board as a member of the Muscular Dystrophy community (Myotonia Congenita), and is passionate about supporting the growth and good governance of Powerchair Football in Australia.
Tristram Peters
Tristram Peters is a writer, lecturer, and marketing professional with over a decade of experience working within the disability and healthcare sectors. He’s experienced in delivering large-scale marketing campaigns and facilitating consumer-driven workshops to drive policy. He is a current Australian Powroos squad member, having previously represented his country at the 2017 and 2023 FIPFA World Cups. He’s deeply passionate about growing powerchair football in Australia, so that others can benefit from the same opportunities that the sport has afforded him.