Firing a slug gun at cans and ice cream containers on family camping holidays from the age of seven, it is fair to say Neelam has had a long association with shooting. Later competing for her high school in smallbore competitions to now competing on the international stage in Shooting Para sport, the Whangarei-raised athlete described shooting in her formative years as her “secret skill” and one which she has worked hard to maximise her talents.
Moving down to Auckland to study at university, it was here she discovered Shooting Para sport for the first time and first came in to contact with six-time Paralympian #148 Michael Johnson MNZM, who started coaching her and who is still air rifle coach to Neelam.
Taking victory at the 2013 Waikato Championships in just her third ever competition, she made her international debut at the 2014 Australian Championships taking a bronze in the 10m SH1 prone mixed event and in the 10m SH1 women’s standing event before the following year competing at her first World Cup in Sydney.
An air rifle specialist for the early phase of her competitive Shooting Para sport career, in 2019 she added pistol to her repertoire and now competes across both disciplines.
“Firing a pistol or a rifle is like playing different musical instruments but still reading the same sheet music – it’s the same formula to be able to take a good shot.”
Training on the range at Parafed Auckland Shooting Club in Mt Eden up to 20 hours a week, Neelam is coached by two-time Commonwealth Games New Zealand representative Ricky Zhao in air pistol and Johnson in air rifle.
Neelam, who works at a bank on a customer services role, achieved a breakthrough performance at the Lima 2023 World Championships making her first international final to place eighth in the P2 Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1.
In 2024 she earned selection in the R3 mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 and the P2 Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. In so doing, the Auckland-based athlete become the first female Kiwi Shooting Para sport exponent for 40 years to compete at a Paralympic Games. and the first New Zealand woman to represent her country in air pistol at the Paralympics. In the former event she placed tenth in qualification only missing a finals berth by two places.
On her qualities she said: “I’m very self-motivated and I constantly strive for excellence. It is a sport of imperfections and there is always room for improvement, which is what keeps me going. I am very focused, I like attention to detail, and I am very self-driven.
“The big goal is to inspire more women to get into the sport. It’s always a great privilege to represent New Zealand.”
