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JAN–APR 2024 THE REVIEW | 11 FEATURE after the Olympic Games. The action will be screened on TVNZ so everyone can follow the Kiwis as they give their all in Paris. New Zealand’s Paralympic Team will be selected over the coming months, and we’re really excited about the talent among the athletes who are training for Paris 2024. Keep an eye out for these three sports and three Kiwi Para athletes: Most Para athletes who play Boccia use wheelchairs to move around and have different techniques for throwing their balls. Some use ramps and sports assistants, while others throw independently. One of New Zealand’s rising stars in the sport is Troy Robertson from Northland. Troy, a member of the Cerebral Palsy Society, has already made a name for himself by winning a silver medal in Have you considered taking part in a Para sport? Many Para sports have participation opportunities all around Aotearoa New Zealand. The growing sport of Para triathlon Introduced to the Paralympic Games in 2016, Para triathlon is a relatively new sport where athletes compete in three disciplines: swimming (750m), cycling (20km) and running (5km). One such athlete is Kurt Peterson, a 35-year-old from Auckland, who is aiming to qualify in Para triathlon. With a lofty ambition of being the first Paralympian triathlete to represent Aotearoa New Zealand, Kurt, a Cerebral Palsy Society member, is working hard to achieve his goal. Explore the fascinating world of Boccia Boccia is an indoor sport that involves throwing leather balls onto a small court and aiming to land the ball as close as possible to a white target ball. the Rumbo al 2023 Boccia tournament in Chile. Troy is thrilled at the prospect of competing in the Paralympic Games and describes it as “mind-blowing”. If he does compete in Paris, he will be the first Kiwi Boccia player to do so since 2008. Para athletics: a major Para sport in Aotearoa New Zealand Para athletics includes a variety of track, road, and field events, such as races, jumps, and throws. Kiwi Paralympians excelled in this sport at the Tokyo 2020 games, earning seven medals. It’s worth noting that five of the eight-strong Para athletics squad had Cerebral Palsy. Several Tokyo 2020 Paralympians, including Danielle Aitchison (#211), will be returning to compete in Paris 2024. At just 22 years old, Danielle has already earned a silver and bronze Paralympic medal. In the 2023 World Championships, she won silver in the 100m and gold in the 200m, delivering “the race of her life”. Danielle will be aiming to replicate her success at the upcoming Paralympic Games. For more information about Paralympics New Zealand go to www.paralympics.org.nz Opposite page: Paralympian Danielle Aitchison is hoping to replicate her successes at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Photo: Joe Toth Top: Kurt Peterson swims, cycles and runs as part of the Para triathlon events he competes in. Photo: Clarisse Henriques/Nuno Domingos Above: The sport of Boccia was added to the Paralympics line up in 1984. Photo: Joe Toth