Ben ‘Benza’ Tuimaseve first picked up a shot put in late 2016. At the time, he had a desire to do something for himself and see if he had potential to make it to the top.
Three years later, Ben made his international Para athletics debut at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Townsville, Australia in June 2019. He was then selected to represent New Zealand at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai in November 2019, where he placed 12th in the shot put F37.
On his return to New Zealand, Ben underwent surgery on his ankle, which left him unable to compete in the Summer 2020 season. The delay to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games was a lifeline to the South Auckland-based shot putter, giving him additional time to recover and resume his training.
Ben fought his way back into impressive form in 2021, producing successive national record-breaking performances over the summer season.
Making his Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Ben placed 9th in the Men’s Shot Put F37. His best throw of 13.31m set a new Oceania Record.
Ben includes music in his training regime, to help with his rhythm and timing. Outside of Para athletics, he competed in the Physical Disability Rugby League New Zealand (PDRL) competition and represented New Zealand in PDRL at the 2018 Rugby League Emerging Nations World Championships in Australia.
