Paralympics New Zealand Hopes for World Championship Legacy

Paralympics New Zealand hope January’s 2011 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships which were staged in Christchurch will leave a legacy that will benefit the country for years to come.

In an interview in the latest edition of The Paralympian, the IPC’s official publication, Fiona Pickering Chief Executive of Paralympics New Zealand explained why her country had bid for the Championships in the first place.

“We saw the Championships as an ideal opportunity to showcase what Paralympic Sport is all about to a wider audience,” said Pickering.

“By doing so we can now hopefully attract more people into the sport either as participants, spectators, volunteers or sponsors.

“It’s given us a real opportunity to increase and grow our revenue streams as well which will be of huge benefit for years to come.

“Hopefully the New Zealand general public now knows a lot more about our athletes and what can be achieved by people with a disability,” she added.

The National Paralympic Committee of New Zealand is profiled in the latest edition of The Paralympian where Pickering also outlines what grassroots initiatives are in place to cope with an expected increase in interest in Paralympic Sport in the country. She also reveals the medal target she has set New Zealand athletes at next year’s London 2012 Paralympic Games.

In addition to the interview with Fiona Pickering, the latest edition of The Paralympian also includes a feature on the IPC’s new four year Strategic Plan and an interview with London 2012 Chairman Seb Coe. There is also a feature on Para-Canoe and Para-Triathlon, two sports recently included in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games sports programme.