Cameron Leslie

Last updated

Cameron Leslie
Cameron Leslie (cropped).jpg
Leslie in 2009
Personal information
Born (1990-01-17) 17 January 1990 (age 34)
Whangārei, New Zealand
SpouseEmma Leslie
Sport
Sport Swimming
Classifications S5, SB3, SM4
ClubNorth Shore Swimming Club
Medal record
Men's para swimming
Representing Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Paralympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2008 Beijing 150 m medley SM4
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2012 London 150 m medley SM4
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 Rio 150 m medley SM4
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2013 Montreal 150 m medley SM4
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2019 London 50 m backstroke S4
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Madeira 100 m freestyle S4
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Manchester 50 m backstroke S4
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2022 Madeira 50 m backstroke S4
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2022 Madeira 50 m freestyle S4
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2022 Madeira 200 m freestyle S4
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2023 Manchester 50 m freestyle S4
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2023 Manchester 100 m freestyle S4
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2013 Montreal 50 m backstroke S5
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2023 Manchester 200 m freestyle S4

Cameron Leslie MNZM (born 17 January 1990) [1] is a New Zealand paralympics swimmer and wheelchair rugby player.

Contents

Early life and education

Leslie was born with a quadruple limb deficiency. [2] [3] He attended Pompallier Catholic Collage. [4] He was also a student at Auckland University of Technology (abbr. AUT; Māori: Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau). Leslie holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies from AUT. [5]

Of Māori descent, Leslie affiliates to the Ngāpuhi iwi. [6]

Leslie got into swimming at an early age, because there were few sporting options for people with disabilities. [7] As a twelve-year-old, his coach placed negative values on him. [7] These relations and a weak debut at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban, [8] lead Leslie to nearly quit the sport. [9]

At a Have a Go Day in 2007, Leslie was introduced to wheelchair rugby. Before long he went for training with the Auckland team twice a week. Soon after, he was selected for the Wheel Blacks. [9]

Career

Leslie in front at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Men's 150m Individual Medley S4 swimming final. Cameron Leslie in front at 2012 Summer Paralympics.jpg
Leslie in front at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Men's 150m Individual Medley S4 swimming final.

Leslie won the gold medal in the men's 150 m individual medley at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Paralympics. [10]

In 2013, he won the gold medal in the men's 150 m individual medley, and a bronze medal in the men's 50 m backstroke, at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Montreal. [11] [12] In 2019, he won the gold medal in the men's 50 m backstroke at the World Para Swimming Championships in London. Just prior to this, he helped New Zealand's wheelchair rugby team, the Wheel Blacks , claim a bronze medal at the IWRF Asia-Oceania Championship to qualify for the 2020 Summer Paralympics. [13]

Honours

In 2008 Leslie received the New Zealand University Blues Award for Maori Sportsperson of the Year and he was also awarded Auckland University of Technology’s Male Athlete of the Year in the same year.

Leslie was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2009 New Year's Honours, for services to swimming. [9] [14]

Leslie was appointed National Para Swimming Development Coordinator by Swimming New Zealand in September 2018. In this time, he supported the development of para swimming in 172 centres across New Zealand.  In December 2019 he was then appointed as an intern on to the Board of Sport New Zealand. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pero Cameron</span> New Zealand basketball player

Sean Pero MacPherson Cameron is a New Zealand basketball coach and former player. A FIBA Hall of Fame member, he captained the New Zealand Tall Blacks from 2000 to 2010, helping lead New Zealand to the semifinal of the 2002 FIBA World Championship, earning an All-Tournament Team selection in the process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheel Blacks</span>

The Wheel Blacks are the national wheelchair rugby team of New Zealand. The team won the gold medal at the 2004 Paralympic games in Athens.

Janice Gabrielle Cameron, was an Australian competition swimmer and coach.

Pompallier Catholic College is a Catholic co-educational secondary school located in the suburb of Maunu in Whangārei, New Zealand. It is one of nine secondary schools within the Marist network. Pompallier Catholic College is named after Bishop Jean Baptiste Francois Pompallier who led the first group of Catholic Missionaries from Lyons, France, to New Zealand. The patron saint of the college is John the Baptist. Students of Pompallier Catholic College are colloquially known as Pompallians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Johnson (sport shooter)</span> New Zealand Paralympic shooter

Michael Johnson is a New Zealand Paralympic shooter who won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Paralympics</span> Sporting event delegation

New Zealand sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country was represented by thirty athletes competing in 7 sports: athletics, boccia, cycling, power-lifting, shooting, swimming and wheelchair rugby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Pascoe</span> New Zealand Paralympic swimmer

Dame Sophie Frances Pascoe is a New Zealand para-swimmer. She has represented New Zealand at four Summer Paralympic Games from 2008, winning a total of eleven gold medals, seven silver medals and one bronze medal, making her New Zealand's most successful Paralympian. She has also represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellie Cole</span> Australian Paralympic swimmer

Ellie Victoria Cole, is an Australian retired Paralympic swimmer and wheelchair basketball player. After having her leg amputated due to cancer, she trained in swimming as part of her rehabilitation program and progressed more rapidly than instructors had predicted. She began competitive swimming in 2003 and first competed internationally at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships, where she won a silver medal. Since then, she has won medals in the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, the Commonwealth Games, the Paralympic Games, the IPC Swimming World Championships, and various national championships.

Miriam Sheppard is a New Zealand former para athlete and para swimmer. She was the 2009 ITU Paratriathlon World Champion in TRI3 classification. In addition, she represented New Zealand at the 2004 Summer Paralympic Games. in Athens, Greece, in swimming, as well as at the 2005 CPISRA World Games – in both swimming and track & field. Jenkins is affected by mild cerebral palsy in her left side.

Howard Kevin Tamati, generally known as Howie Tamati, is a New Zealand politician and former professional rugby league footballer and coach who played for New Zealand. He is the cousin of fellow international Kevin Tamati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Cochrane</span> Australian Paralympic swimmer

Blake Cochrane, is a retired Australian Paralympic swimmer. He won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, two gold medals at the 2012 London Paralympics, a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, and a silver and one bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Carrington</span> New Zealand canoeist (born 1989)

Dame Lisa Marie Carrington is a flatwater canoeist and New Zealand's most successful Olympian, having won a total of eight gold medals and one bronze medal. She won three consecutive gold medals in the Women's K‑1 200 metres at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2016 Summer Olympics and 2020 Summer Olympics, as well as gold in the same event at the 2011 Canoe Sprint World Championships. At the 2020 Summer Olympics she also won a gold medal in the K‑2 500 metres, with Caitlin Regal, and as an individual in the K‑1 500 metres. At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Carrington defended her titles in the K‑1 500 metres and K‑2 500 metres event and also won the K‑4 500 metres event. Carrington equalled Danuta Kozák's record of winning all three K-1, K-2, K-4 events, over 500 metres, at one Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Auprince</span> Australian swimmer and wheelchair basketball player

Michael Auprince, is an Australian swimmer and wheelchair basketball player. He set several swimming records and was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London in swimming, where he won gold and bronze medals. He represented the Rollers team at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. Michael is currently on the coaching staff of the University of Alabama Wheelchair Basketball team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Cockroft</span> British wheelchair racer

Hannah Lucy Cockroft is a British wheelchair racer specialising in sprint distances in the T34 classification and TV presenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Fisher (swimmer)</span> New Zealand Paralympic swimmer

Mary Elizabeth Fisher is a New Zealand para swimmer. She represented New Zealand at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London and the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, combined winning two gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eliza McCartney</span> New Zealand pole vaulter (born 1996)

Eliza McCartney is a New Zealand track and field athlete who competes in the pole vault and won the bronze medal in this event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She is the current New Zealand and Oceania record holder at 4.94 m, and is the outdoor world junior record holder at 4.64 m. She also won the silver medal at the Summer Universiade in 2015. In 2018, she placed second at the Commonwealth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Paralympics</span> Sporting event delegation

New Zealand competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. It was the nation's thirteenth appearance at the Summer Paralympics, having made its debut in 1968 and appeared in every edition since.

Tupou Neiufi is a New Zealand para-swimmer who represented her country at the 2016 Summer Paralympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She won a silver medal at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships and gold at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand at the 2020 Summer Paralympics</span> Sporting event delegation

New Zealand competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan. Originally to be held from 25 August to 6 September 2020, the event was postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was held from 24 August to 5 September 2021. It was New Zealand's 14th appearance at Summer Paralympics.

References

  1. "Paralympic Athletes - Swimming". Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
  2. "Paralympics: Latest Kiwi news". One Sport. 15 September 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  3. (www.journey-digital.com), Site designed and developed by Journey digital ltd, Auckland, New Zealand. "Stories of the disabled community". attitudelive.com. Retrieved 31 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. https://www.pompallier.school.nz/wp-content/uploads/sites/173/2024/08/2024-08-16-Newsletter.pdf
  5. "Cameron Leslie | Sport New Zealand - Ihi Aotearoa". Sport New Zealand | Ihi Aoteroa. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  6. "43 Māori athletes to head to Rio Olympics". Te Karere. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  7. 1 2 Castaing, Camille (17 June 2024). "Fighting for balance and inclusion - three-time gold medallist, Cameron Leslie". Balance is Better. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  8. https://oepc.at/downloads/Ergebnislisten_Weltmeisterschaften/WM-Schwimmen_2006_Durban_RSA.pdf
  9. 1 2 3 4 Hoggard, Jon (9 March 2019). "Cameron Leslie: Paralympic Pioneer". Balance is Better. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  10. "Paralympians more respected now, says triple gold winner Cameron Leslie". stuff.co.nz. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  11. "Kiwi medal tally continuing". tvnz.co.nz. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  12. "Live Results: 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships". paralympic.org. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  13. "Kiwi swimmer Cameron Leslie helps New Zealand win another gold in London". Newshub . Newshub. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  14. "New Year Honours List 2009". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2019.

[1]

Awards
Preceded by Halberg Awards
Para Athlete or Para Team of the Year

2023
Incumbent
  1. "Cameron Leslie: 'Absolute dream' to represent two sports at Paralympics". NZ Herald. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.