Jeremy Morriss competed at his first Paralympic Games in Athens 2004, at the age of 18. He returned from Athens with the first and currently only ever Paralympic medal in the sport of Boccia for New Zealand. The team of four, secured New Zealand’s first medal after beating world champions Spain, setting up a shot for the gold with Portugal, unfortunately having to settle for silver after falling just short in the final.
Hard work and belief in each other were the secret to the team’s success. The New Zealand team would eventually gain their revenge on Portugal two years later in 2006 at the World Championships in Rio taking the gold!
Jeremy also competed at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. Having cerebral palsy, he was happy to find a sport that could really challenge him. Jeremy started Boccia at the age of 10.
Jeremy is still actively involved in domestic Boccia competitions and currently coaches the ParaFed Canterbury Boccia team.