Undergoing wrist surgery in December 2025, followed by months of complications, is far from ideal preparation for the Changwon 2026 WSPS World Championships, which begin later this week (10–15 September).
However, Paralympian #236 Neelam O’Neill PLY believes she has now come through the toughest part of her recovery and is ready to test herself on the world stage at one of the pinnacle events of her campaign ahead of the LA28 Paralympic Games.
“It’s been a bit of a struggle to get back on track and be ready for the World Championships,” explains Neelam. “I’m grateful for my high-performance team and the support I’ve received from my medical team and physios to rebuild my strength.
“I spent a long time in recovery, but I’ve managed to come back stronger. I’m grateful to be back competing and I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do in Changwon.”
Making her Paralympic debut at Paris 2024 proved a hugely positive experience for the Northland-raised Shooting Para sport athlete. She placed 10th in the P2 Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 and 21st in the R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1.
A year later, at her leading international event of 2025, the Al Ain World Cup, Neelam demonstrated her ability to maintain her focus when faced with an unexpected distraction.
Competing in the P2 Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1, she had to contend with a swarm of flies repeatedly landing on her throughout the competition. Despite the inconvenience, she finished 12th, while placing 27th in the R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1.
“As I was the closest competitor to the entrance, the flies would land on my hands, my pistol, and my face and arms at the most inconvenient times.
“Shooing them away was tiresome and irritating, so I had to learn to ‘befriend’ them and stay on task at hand without being distracted.
“But it was a good learning curve. I had to keep bringing myself back to the present moment. I managed to shoot around my average score from home (555 points), which I was pretty happy with.”
However, soon after returning home, Neelam faced a far more significant challenge.
Having struggled with rheumatoid arthritis since she was young, the Shooting Para sport athlete underwent surgery on her left wrist in December to help relieve ongoing pain.
She had previously undergone the same procedure on her right wrist for De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. The operation involved opening the tunnel over the wrist tendons to reduce the pain, and Neelam had expected a similar six-to-eight-week recovery period.
This time, however, the recovery proved far more difficult.
The pain did not dissipate as quickly as she had hoped, significantly affecting her ability to carry out everyday tasks. As a result, it was six months before she was able to pick up a pistol again.
“I struggled to do daily functions like transferring and wheeling around. Even small things like cutting food and typing became difficult,” explains Neelam, who works part-time as a banker.
When she finally returned to the range in May, it was with a cautious approach. Initially, the pain, which was largely concentrated in her hands, meant she could manage only 10 shots at a time with the pistol.
Gradually, that increased to 20 and then 30 shots, but the uncertainty remained.
“It was a worrisome time,” she admits. “I had to accept that this could be my new normal.”
With the support of her medical team, led by Dr Stephen Kara, alongside physiotherapy, psychology and athlete life support through High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), Neelam slowly began to rebuild both her strength and confidence.
The experience also taught her an important lesson about patience.
“I’m often in the mindset of wanting to get back to normal as fast as possible, but this time, recovery forced me to slow down” she says. “My everyday functionality became more important than my Para sport. Being able to shoot again was a bonus”
By June, Neelam was much more independently mobile, and the following month she made her return to international competition at the BISC Cup in Brisbane.
The results provided an important confidence boost, as she won gold in the P2 Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 and silver in the R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1.
“I knew I had to be kind to myself, acknowledge I might not perform the way I wanted to and take the event as a stepping stone,” she reflects. “It was about focusing on the process and managing the pain in my hand each day.
“Brisbane showed me that I’m on the right track ahead of the World Championships.”
Now, with four to five sessions a week on the range complemented by strength and conditioning work, the 33-year-old believes she is ready for the challenge in Changwon.
Her schedule will be demanding, with both the P2 Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 and R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 taking place on the same day, Saturday 12 September.
But after everything she has overcome during the past nine months, Neelam is not daunted.
“I’m fine competing in both events on the same day. It’s not foreign to me because of the way I train,” she explains. “Mentally, I’m in a good headspace, and I’d love to make the final. If I make the final, it is anybody’s game.
“It is always a privilege and an honour to compete on the world stage against the very best. I just want to enjoy it.
“I’m excited to see what I can take from this competition and carry forward to the LA28 Paralympic Games.”
***Three Kiwi athletes will be competing at Changwon 2026 with Paralympian #148 Michael Johnson MNZM and Paralympian #204 Greg Reid PLY also taking to the range.
When the Kiwis are competing (all times NZT)
Thursday 10 September
Michael Johnson – R4 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2 (Qualification 2.30pm, Final 7.15pm)
Saturday 12 September
Neelam O’Neill – P2 Women’s Air Pistol SH1 (Qualification Noon, Final 2.30pm)
Neelam O’Neill – R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 (Qualification 4.30pm, Final 6.30pm)
Greg Reid – R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 (Qualification 4.30pm, Final 6.30pm)
Tuesday 15 September
Michael Johnson – R5 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2 (Qualification 2.30pm, Final 5pm)
***For the live results go here.
