Shelley Kalivati (nee Hadfield) was born and raised in Taradale, Napier.
Shelley is a very successful Para athletics athlete competing at the New York and Stoke Mandeville 1984 Paralympic Games. She won an impressive 4 Paralympic medals: 2 gold in the 200m 3 and Pentathlon 3 and 2 silver in the 100m 3 and slalom 3. She set a new world record in the Pentathlon event. Returning from the Paralympic Games, she was awarded the National NZ Samoan Sports Woman of the Year, alongside the Hawkes Bay Sports Woman of the Year.
After her experience at the Paralympic Games, Shelley moved sport and dedicated herself to Wheelchair tennis. She won the C Division at the Australian Open and the Women’s Division of the New Zealand Open. Shelley took up a paid role promoting Wheelchair tennis in the Auckland region, arranging coaching and competitions. She then went on to compete at the Japan Open achieving 3rd in the Doubles and making the semi-finals in the Women’s Open Division. Then, Shelley decided to move to Germany and competed in the European Wheelchair tennis circuit successfully, making the quarter-finals twice. It allowed her to fund further competitions throughout more European countries.
After a couple of years, Shelley got homesick and moved back home to New Zealand. She worked in Auckland for Wang Computers for several years. She obtained her scuba diving certification and played Wheelchair tennis socially.
Today, Shelley is married, and has 2 sons: Zac and Luke in their twenties. She has been working for NZ Police for 19 years as a dispatcher at Wellington Central Police Station.
Read more about Shelley’s story.
Shelley received her ‘numbered’ Paralympic pin as part of The Celebration Project in Wellington in November 2020.
