The Paralympic Games or Paralympics are a periodic series of international multi-sport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities, including impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment and intellectual impairment. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea, are held almost immediately following the respective Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Sophie Frances Pascoe is a New Zealand para-swimmer. She has represented New Zealand at three Summer Paralympic Games from 2008, winning a total of nine gold medals and six silver medals, making her New Zealand's most successful Paralympian. She also went to the Commonwealth Games to represent New Zealand.
The 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships was held in Christchurch, New Zealand from January 21 to 30, 2011. Athletes with a disability competed, and the Championships was a qualifying event for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Wheelchair rugby is a sport with national representation at the Paralympic games. The Australian Team is known as the 'Steelers'.
Kath Proudfoot is a cerebral palsy athlete from Australia competing mainly in throwing events. She competed in the F36 classification at the 2008, 2012 and the 2016 Summer Paralympics, winning medals at each Game. Following a medical review request in early 2017, she now competes in seated throws in the F32 classification. At the 2017 Australian Athletics Championships she threw 7.04m in the Women's Shot Put Secured event, bettering the Women's F32 shot put world record mark of 6.55m.
Brian Frederick McNicholl, OAM is a New Zealand-born Australian Paralympic powerlifter, weightlifter, wheelchair basketballer, and athlete, who won five medals at six Paralympic games from 1976 to 1996.
Kathryn Ross is an Australian Paralympic rower. She is a four-time world champion who has participated at three Paralympics from 2008 to 2016, winning a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. She set a world's best time in the PR2 1X event at the 2019 World Rowing Championships.
New Zealand competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included 36 athletes, 28 men and 8 women. Competitors from New Zealand won ten medals, including 6 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze to finish 36th in the medal table.
New Zealand won 20 medals at the 1980 Summer Paralympics: 7 golds, 6 silver and 7 bronze medals.
New Zealand won 24 medals at the 1984 Summer Paralympics: 8 golds, 10 silver and 6 bronze medals.
New Zealand won 17 medals at the 1988 Summer Paralympics: 2 golds, 4 silver and 11 bronze medals.
New Zealand sent a 13 member athlete delegation to the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona, winning 6 medals: 5 golds, 1 silver and 0 bronze medals.
New Zealand won 1 medal at the 1988 Winter Paralympics: 0 golds, 1 silver and 0 bronze medals.
New Zealand won 6 medals at the 1994 Winter Paralympics: 3 golds, 0 silver and 3 bronze medals.
New Zealand won 6 medals at the 1998 Winter Paralympics: 4 golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals.
New Zealand won 6 medals at the 2002 Winter Paralympics: 4 golds, 0 silver and 2 bronze medals.
Bradley Mark is a New Zealand born Australian shooter who has represented Australia in two Paralympic Games.
New Zealand sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. The country continued its streak of competing in every Winter Paralympics since 1984. New Zealand's delegation consisted of three competitors in alpine skiing, one of whom, Corey Peters, won a silver medal in the giant slalom. With one silver medal, the country tied for 16th on the medal table for these Paralympics.
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.
Holly Robinson is a New Zealand para-athlete, primarily competing in the javelin throw. She represented New Zealand at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London and the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. At the 2016 Games, she was New Zealand's flagbearer for the opening ceremony, and won the silver medal in the women's javelin throw F46. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games she won the silver medal in the same event.
