Multiple surgeries failed to dampen the enthusiasm of Para athlete Charli Gardiner-Hall, who has bounced back from a traumatic second half of 2025 to compete for New Zealand at the Oceania Athletics Championships this week (18–23 May).
The Waiuku-based teenager, who was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome Type 3, underwent Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) implant surgery last August in an effort to help control the seizures she regularly experiences.
Incisions were made in her chest and neck to implant the device and thread wires through her body. However, when the wounds failed to heal, the heartbreaking decision was made to remove the implant.
More trauma followed. Even after the device was removed, the wounds still would not heal. It was later discovered that a piece of plastic tubing had been left inside Charli’s body, requiring yet another medical procedure.
“So much of my happiness is connected to Para athletics,” explains Charli, 18. “Getting out there, training in the gym and in the circle, and pushing myself to get better. When I couldn’t do what I love, that was really hard. The biggest low was realising the surgeries had all been for nothing.”
It was a gut-wrenching experience for Charli, a member of intake one of the Para Sport Collective, supported by ACC, and her family, who had spent months deciding whether to proceed with the VNS surgery at Starship Hospital in Auckland before finally committing in August last year.
Initially, the signs were promising. The device – designed to send small electrical impulses to help regulate seizures – appeared to be working. Unfortunately, the incisions repeatedly split open.
Charli’s mother, Kylie, explained: “The only option was to remove the device after it became seriously infected, so Charli underwent a much longer second surgery. The wounds then needed to heal before she could return to training, but the problems persisted. It was eventually discovered that a piece of plastic tubing had been left underneath the incisions, so she landed back in hospital again.”
Charli was devastated.
“When they told me the VNS was seriously infected and there was nothing they could do except remove it, I was so sad,” she says. “It was such a huge decision to go ahead with the operation in the first place. Then to be told it had all gone wrong felt like hope was being ripped away from me.”
The situation worsened further for the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) communications student after the discovery of the tubing.
“To have ongoing problems with my wounds not healing, and then to find out something had been left inside me, really sucked,” she says. “I had lost so much training time and conditioning, and it was all for nothing.”
Despite everything, Para athletics remained a powerful source of motivation, and she was determined to return to the shot put and discus circles as soon as possible.
Following the complications from the multiple surgeries, Charli understandably faced a slow road back to form. Still, she was determined to compete at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Athletics Championships in Hastings despite having only “one to two weeks” to prepare after surgery.
Supported by coach John Eden (Paralympian #31), she exceeded expectations by winning gold medals in both the Senior Girls’ Para Discus and Para Shot Put.
“It felt like I had to start from scratch, and that was pretty hard,” she recalls. “There were worries about whether I could get back to my pre-surgery distances. My body also takes longer than normal to lock down skills because of my brain condition, so that’s always challenging.
“I had to remind myself to take things slowly, even though I didn’t want to. John’s support really helped because mentally I was being tough on myself too.”
Facing what she describes as a “big challenge” to regain her best form, Charli committed herself to training, combining three throwing sessions with three gym sessions each week. Gradually, she began to “see glimpses” of her best performances returning.
At the New Zealand Track and Field Championships in Auckland in March, the hard work began to pay off.
She was “stoked” to win gold in the Senior Women’s Para Discus, while also claiming titles in the U20 Women’s Para Discus – setting national U20 and U19 T37 records with 27.41m – and the U20 Women’s Para Shot Put.
In the Senior Women’s Para Shot Put, she earned bronze behind Paralympian #210 Lisa Adams and Paralympian #183 Holly Robinson MNZM, breaking the nine-metre barrier for the first time in competition with a throw of 9.03m.
“I was really pleased with that performance and how I managed my nerves during such a big competition, but I still wanted to keep improving.”
At last month’s Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney, Charli continued her upward trajectory. She set a national U19 record of 9.13m in the Women’s Shot Put T37 before competing at the Australian Junior Championships in Brisbane, where she won discus gold and shot put silver.
Elated by her progress, she acknowledges the huge role her coach – John Eden – has played in her comeback.
“John’s been great,” she says. “We’ve both had to be patient during my recovery, which I think has been hard for both of us. He was really concerned for my health with everything that happened, and I always knew he was 100 percent behind me. He was careful about when to let me push and when to hold back. He’s a good sort, and I think we make a cool, quirky team.”
Now she turns her attention to the Oceania Athletics Championships, where she will compete in the shot put and discus.
Earning selection for the Darwin event had been a major goal before her surgeries, and she is thrilled to wear the New Zealand singlet and represent her country.
So, what are her goals this week?
“I want to make my country proud,” she says. “The competition is going to be super tough, so I’d love to achieve a PB in that environment and see how far up the results table I can get.”
Living with seizures that rob her of much of her independence, the failed surgery was undoubtedly a huge disappointment. Yet Para athletics has helped sustain Charli through her darkest days, giving her purpose and confidence.
“Para athletics is a huge anchor in Charli’s life,” says Kylie, who continues to be astounded by her daughter’s resilience. “It has enabled her to excel and to achieve, to experience other countries, and the athletics community feels like her extended family. Without Para athletics, there would be a massive hole in Charli’s life. During those surgeries and medical stays, Para athletics was definitely her north star.”
But the final word belongs to Charli.
“Sitting in that hospital bed and finally getting that leftover tubing out of me, I never thought any of this would be possible,” she says. “But I know one of my superpowers is resilience, and I trust in that more than ever now.”
***For more on the 2026 Oceania Athletics Championships and how to follow the 21 Para athletes in action for New Zealand go here.
