Local Paralympians in the Spotlight

New Plymouth celebrated three local Paralympians in a special event on 26th September. The Celebration Project acknowledged Theresa Herd (nee Griffin), Jay Waite and Stephen Hills as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations run by Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ).

Theresa Herd received her official pin and certificate at the event, becoming part of an exclusive group of 209 New Zealand Paralympians. Paralympians are only given

their numbered pin once they have competed at their first Paralympic Games. Theresa shared how it felt to get the news of her selection to compete in Athens in 2004. “When the phone rang, it was still that moment of shock — the ‘wow, this is actually happening, I’ve worked so hard for this.’”

Melissa Dawson, Brand and Communications Manager of PNZ, said holding the event in New Plymouth meant family and friends of the Paralympians could attend. “It was very important to us that they had the people around them that really mattered, to celebrate that special moment. Grants such as the one we received from TSB Community Trust are really important so that we can do work in the community,” Melissa said.

Central New Plymouth was home to a Para Sport Pop Up for the weekend following the Celebration Project community event. The public was welcomed to learn about the fifty-year history of the Paralympic movement in New Zealand and meet the Paralympians. It included activities such as handcycling, wheelchair basketball and virtual reality blind football. “We are changing perceptions around disability in society in New Zealand. The whole objective of the Pop Up is to promote the Paralympic movement, promote Para sport,” Melissa said.

PNZ is one of 182 National Paralympic Committees globally. It is responsible for sending athletes to the summer and winter Paralympic Games every two years. PNZ are not fully funded by the Government and the fundraising target to get the team to Tokyo in 2020 is $700,000.

This grant of $1400 enabled PNZ to hold the weekend-long event honouring the Paralympians who have represented New Zealand. “The support of the community trust was really significant for us to be able to do everything we wanted. It was a successful three days,” Melissa said. “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to re-tell the stories of Paralympians who have competed for New Zealand since 1968. The stories speak for themselves. They are just amazing people that epitomise the movement’s core values of determination, equality, inspiration and courage.”