DOCUMENT

THE NEWS Throughout 2022 members of the Cerebral Palsy Society have been doing amazing things in the sporting arena. We’re incredibly proud of everyone’s achievements and wanted to share some of themwith The Review readers. Finding success in sport Best foot forward Earlier this year shot- putter Rorie Poff had a fabulous time showcasing his talents in Australia. Cerebral Palsy affects the Canterbury teenager’s balance and coordination and he has severe Haemophilia A. He has been a member of Parafed Canterbury for seven years, and has a passion for athletics, mainly shot put. Rorie, 17, competes as a Para Athlete, in the F38 classification, and has attended the Halberg Games five times. His goal is to represent New Zealand on the world stage. Rorie took a step towards that in May and June when he attended a pre-competition training camp on the Gold Coast, Proud triathlete Regular visits to the gym have made a world of difference for 26-year-old Hine-Mei Musgrave. Hine-Mei and her twin were born at 25 weeks, weighing just 750 grams. followed by the Oceania Area Championships in Queensland. “It was great to interact with the other athletes and train with the assistance of throw coaches.” In April, Rorie’s personal best throwwas 9.47m. On the last day of competition, he increased this to 9.83m, securing himself fifth place overall. “The whole experience was amazing, travelling internationally with the New Zealand team and the support of Athletics New Zealand.” On his last throw of the competition, Rorie broke three bones in his left foot, and spent time recovering from surgery and undergoing physiotherapy. He worked his way back to competing in the Halberg Games in Christchurch in October, and next on the calendar is the NZ Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships in December. “I have never left let my medical conditions hold me back and hopefully others can be inspired by my achievements,” he says. She attended Carlson School for Cerebral Palsy and took her first 150 steps unaided when she was around seven years old, with the support of AFO splints. The Aucklander, who has short term memory loss and auditory processing problems, says physical education and therapy stopped when she finished high school. So, five years ago she started using the gym and pool facilities at Westwave. She now attends nearly every day. “It makes me stronger,” she says, adding that she likes the challenge, and getting to meet new people. Earlier this year she took part in her first triathlon, hosted by Blind Low Vision NZ, and received a trophy for her participation. Hine-Mei is partially sighted after a stroke left her with negligible peripheral vision, and has hydrocephalous and a shunt. 6 | THE REVIEW SEP–DEC 2022