SNN_April 2023 Issue_web
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NEW ZEALAND SPINAL TRUST 16<br />
The Launch of the<br />
Para Sport Collective<br />
It’s a three-year initiative supporting pre-high performance<br />
para athletes and coaches.<br />
PERSPECTIVE—Paralympian Scott Martlew says getting back into sport gave him hope and a renewed perspective. Credit: Getty Images.<br />
Pre-high performance para athletes in<br />
New Zealand today need a community<br />
of like-minded individuals.<br />
Compared to many non-disabled sports, there are lower<br />
numbers of athletes within any individual para sport, and<br />
individual Para athletes have a wide range of disabilities.<br />
When sharing experiences with peers is enabled, it leads<br />
to greater inclusion in sport, and helps both wellbeing<br />
and sporting progress.<br />
The story is similar for para sport coaches: knowledge<br />
exchange and peer support are extremely valuable, but<br />
coaches are often dispersed across different para sports<br />
and different regions.<br />
—Paralympics NZ<br />
Para athletes need the<br />
right environment to build<br />
confidence, skills, capabilities<br />
and connections.<br />
“Through our consultation with para athletes and<br />
coaches we know that there is an area in the sport<br />
pathway that some describe as a ‘grey area’,” says<br />
Paralympics New Zealand’s Chief Executive Fiona Allan.
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