Spotlight on New Zealand

Cathy Hemsworth, Paralympics New Zealand
Chef de Mission – ATHENS 2004 and Craig Hobbs,
Executive Director of Paralympics New Zealand

At the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, New Zealand had 45 athletes competing. Considering the small size of New Zealand, it was a great achievement of the athletes to take home 18 medals. For Athens 2004, the number of athletes is planned to be slightly lower (30-35) due to the long distance and logistical difficulties. “Due to the cost of travelling from New Zealand, we tend to send teams that are strong on quality rather than quantity,” says Craig Hobbs, Executive Director of Paralympics New Zealand. What about the Paralympic Winter Games? “New Zealand has a proud history at the Winter Paralympics, achieving at a much higher level than our New Zealand able-bodied counterparts,” says Mr. Hobbs.The two New Zealand athletes who competed in the Salt Lake 2002 Paralympic Winter Games, acquired four gold and two bronze medals. New Zealand also won five medals in Nagano 1998 and six in Lillehammer 1994.

New Zealand’s first participation in sports events for persons with a disability was in 1962, when an Auckland paraplegic attended the first British Commonwealth Paraplegic Games. In 1968, the first National Paraplegic Games were held with 29 competitors. Also in 1968, the New Zealand Paraplegic & Physically Disabled Federation was formed as the national body for disability sport to enable an official team to represent New Zealand at the Tel Aviv 1968 Paralympics. Fifteen competitors attended the Games in Israel and returned with one gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

New Zealand wants to become more active in the bidding for IPC events. The geographical situation of New Zealand results in many competitions taking place on the other side of the globe. The consequence: high financial costs and logistical complications. For the World Wheelchair Games 2003, this will not be the case – in October-November of 2003, Christchurch, New Zealand, will be hosting the multi-sport games. The Boccia World Cup will also be run in conjunction with this event.

The NPC strives to attain better results at elite level and to integrate sports for persons with a disability in able-bodied sport organisations. Says Mr. Hobbs: “It is really important for us to integrate. As a small country we cannot afford anything else.We are proud of the integration we have achieved so far: Paralympics New Zealand is working with many national sports organisations through the “Sport Responsible for Sport” programme to integrate athletes with a disability. Currently Alpine Skiing, Athletics, Cycling, Lawn Bowls and Swimming, have events for athletes with a disability as part of their National and Regional Championships or embrace athletes with a disability as full members of their sport.”Mr. Hobbs thinks that it will take around five to seven years to reach full integration of all sports into able-bodied federations in New Zealand.

The majority of the New Zealand sports organisations are very committed to the inclusion programme but in the area of severely disabled athletes,much work is still required. These athletes are in need of special support which not all able-bodied sport organisations can supply today.

Paralympics New Zealand supports developing and high performance athletes through its Paralympic Squad Programme (PSP). The PSP was implemented in March 1999 to provide additional support and funding to athletes in their build up to the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games but has since evolved to now include 51 athletes across 12 sports. The PSP provides the athletes on the programme with sport science, sport medicine in addition to career and education advice, at no cost to the athlete, through a support system from the New Zealand Academy of Sport. Funding and organisational support for international competition as well as coaching support and expertise are also provided.