Liam had only been competing in the sport of Para athletics for two years prior to competing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. His journey began with generous support from the New Zealand public who donated funds to assist Liam with the purchase of running blades while still in his first year at Canterbury University. In the lead up to Rio 2016 the training was extremely hard and at times he wasn’t able to put on his blades due to bleeding and swelling on his legs from the previous training session.
However at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games he put this all behind him as he stunned the sporting world by winning two gold and one silver medal on the track. The international and national public and media fell in love with a new sporting hero. His outstanding performances contributed to the New Zealand Paralympic Team’s stunning 21 medals across 12 individual medallists in 2016 (9 gold, 5 silver and 7 bronze). The Team finished first in the world per capita and 13th in the world overall (previous best: 16th).
Following the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Liam became a household name not only for his sporting achievements but also his honesty and humour. In January 2018 he announced his retirement from Para athletics to focus on his career.
