The Tauranga community has enthusiastically embraced New Zealand’s PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympians today, as hundreds turned out to meet gold and bronze medallist, Adam Hall, plus bronze medallist Corey Peters at the ACC Paralympics New Zealand Open Day taking place at ASB Baypark. Today is their first public appearance since returning home to New Zealand triumphant on Wednesday.
The Open Day is the seventh in a series of eight events currently planned around the country. ACC and Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) are working together to promote Para sport in local communities and attract new participants at all levels, from community Para sport right up to elite High Performance level. The Open Days are available for anyone with a disability, whether through accident, injury or an illness.
Adam Hall said: “I think ACC and Paralympics New Zealand are doing a great thing putting on these Open Days. They are so important in helping disabled people understand what opportunities they might have to get involved in Para sport in their local communities but also, we are always on the hunt for new talent. Obviously as a Para skier, I am biased – I have been pushing people to the Snow Sports display! But getting involved in any kind of Para sport can do great things for your health and wellbeing.“
Hall and Peters were joined by Rio 2016 bronze medallist, William Stedman and Tokyo 2020 hopeful, blade runner Anna Steven, with the four Para athletes working hard to help more than twenty providers and organisations promote Para sport opportunities available in the Bay of Plenty. This Open Day was held in conjunction with ParaFed Bay of Plenty’s inaugural Bayfair Festival of Disability Sport. Last night, Hall and Peters were guests of honour and Hall was a keynote speaker at the Awards Dinner.
Many of the people attending today’s Open Day were prompted by curiosity about all the different options available in the Bay of Plenty. Andy Corles has recently got involved in hand-cycling, after a car accident in late 2014. Corles has damage to his spinal cord which resulted in paraplegia.
He said: “I heard about the ACC Paralympics New Zealand Open Day from my ACC case worker. I’m already involved in Para cycling as a handcyclist and I’m training 6 days a week and hope to compete at the Nationals later this year; who knows, I might get to the Paralympics one day! I came along today because I wanted to see what other things there might be. Its really given me focus since my accident.“
Sally Bramley, ACC Branch Manager, Tauranga, said: “Today’s ACC Paralympics New Zealand Open Day has been wonderful, we’ve had so many people through and many are quite new to Para sport! The benefits of sport for people with a disability are multiple; not only is it proven to increase health, but sport also offers a social outlet and often, even gives the person a feeling of having a second family around them.“
The final ACC Paralympics New Zealand Open Day in the current series will take place in Dunedin on Saturday 7 April at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Hometown boy Adam Hall will again attend, with his PyeongChang 2018 Paralympics team mate, Para Snowboarder Carl Murphy, and members of the Rio 2016 Team.
