Paralympian #195 Anna Grimaldi MNZM was announced as the winner of the ISPS HANDA Para Athlete/Team of the Year Award at the 62nd ISPS HANDA Halberg Awards at Spark Arena, Auckland.
Anna enjoyed an outstanding 2024, winning a Women’s T47 long jump silver medal and Women’s 100m T47 bronze medal at the Para Athletics World Championships in Kobe, Japan.
The 28-year-old then captured the hearts of a nation with her feats at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. She opened her account in the French capital winning a bronze medal and setting an Oceania record in the Women’s 100m T47 before returning to the Stade de France hunting a third successive Paralympic long jump T47 gold medal.
Finishing fourth in the long jump, Anna bounced back in spectacular fashion the following day to land the Women’s 200m T47 gold, posting an electrifying Oceania record.
A delighted Grimaldi said: “It means so much to receive the award from Paralympian #166 Dame Sophie Pascoe. I looked up her to growing up and coming through sport as a young person not knowing there was going to be an avenue for me to compete and become a professional athlete with a disability, I am so pleased that Sophie paved the way for the athlete I’ve become.
“Last year was a dream, and it just continues to keep on giving. The Paralympic Movement has changed my life. I was a really shy young girl. Little Anna would not believe that he she would have this career based because I had a disability. That I am standing up without sleeves without pockets, with one hand, it would blow her mind that I have come this far.”
Grimaldi becomes the seventh Para athlete/team to land the award following in the footsteps of Paralympian #158 Adam Hall MNZM, #164 Cameron Leslie MNZM #166 Dame Sophie Pascoe DNZM, #174 Mary Fisher MNZM, #188 MNZM Corey Peters and #197 Liam Malone MNZM.
On a glittering night at the Spark Arena the other finalists in the Para Athlete/Team of the Year were Paris 2024 medallists; Paralympian #208 William Stedman, who claimed a Men’s 400m T36 silver medal at Paris 2024, #211 Danielle Aitchison, who secured silver medals in the Women’s 100m and 200m T36, and Para cycling duo #222 Nicole Murray – who snared Women’s C5 Individual Pursuit bronze – and Women’s C4 Individual Pursuit silver medallist #225 Anna Taylor.
