Originally from Hamilton, John lost his foot in a lawnmower accident when he was five. He made his debut at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games in Para athletics. 4 years later, in his best form at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, he won gold in javelin and silver in shot put. He finished 8th in the discus. John still remembers the shouts and many flags of the kiwi supporters in the crowd in Sydney, a wonderful experience. Today he lives in Australia and is an athletics coach for Australian olympians.
John officially received his ‘numbered’ Paralympic pin as part of The Celebration Project in Auckland in February 2020.