Yesterday, members of the New Zealand Paralympic Team entered the Paralympic athlete village in Tokyo. The leadership group made the journey from New Zealand to Japan following strict protocols.
Since the conclusion of the Olympics, Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) has liaised with NZ Olympic Committee and High Performance Sport NZ representatives to gain valuable insights from the Olympic experience.
Paula Tesoriero (Chef de Mission) said: “It is fantastic to get to Tokyo and into the village. Following the success of the Olympics, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and International Paralympic Committee have worked tirelessly to create the most safe and secure environment possible with a focus on continuing to stay vigilant. We will now begin to set up the New Zealand Paralympic Team apartments creating an environment that feels like home, one in which our Para athletes can thrive.“
She continued: “We are excited to welcome our first group of Para athletes into the village on 19 August. These Para athletes will compete in Para athletics, Para swimming and Wheelchair rugby. Our Para cyclists will go straight to our satellite village in Izu to prepare for Para cycling track events.“
She added: “The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games have the potential to be a game-changer in New Zealand for all but in particular for the 24% of Kiwis that have a disability. Through their performances our Paralympians will influence perceptions of disability, transforming lives. “
The New Zealand Paralympic Team is 66 strong including 29 exceptional Para athletes and 37 support staff across 6 Para sports. This includes 18 Paralympic debutants.
The first Para athletes in action on day one of competition (Wednesday 25 August) will include Paralympian Jesse Reynolds (Para swimming), Para athletes Anna Taylor, Sarah Ellington and Nicole Murray (Para cycling) and the Wheel Blacks (Wheelchair rugby).
Kiwis can watch the action as it happens – non-stop – every day on TVNZ DUKE (Freeview 13, Sky 23 and live streamed on TVNZ OnDemand) together with extensive delayed and highlights coverage. Along with 1 NEWS coverage, a special highlights programme will air every morning at 9am on TVNZ 1 and will be available online through TVNZ OnDemand and AttitudeLive.com.
New Zealanders can show their support for the New Zealand Paralympic Team by sending support via the NZ Team app, ANZ Support Band, or send a message of support to [email protected] and this will go directly to the NZ Paralympic Team in the Paralympic village.
PNZ is also encouraging everyone to have a ‘Paralympic Party’. This simple but fun idea will see workplaces, schools and groups of friends come together on a date or dates of their choice between 24 August and 5 September and host a ‘Paralympic Party’ where anything gold goes.
Kevin Cronin (Principal, Whangaparaoa School) said: “The Whangaparaoa School community has been excited to support Paralympics New Zealand’s fundraising in the past. It provided an opportunity to educate our learners and wider school community about Paralympic sport, individual differences and disability issues. We would encourage all schools to take the opportunity to get involved and host a Paralympic Party to experience the excitement of the Paralympic Games and at the same time learn about diversity and inclusion in a fun way.“
Your ‘party’ could be a morning tea, a pot-luck dinner, a competition or a quiz – the key is to Show your Spirit of Gold and watch some Paralympic Games coverage and cheer on the NZ Paralympic Team.
