Para snow sport competition and strengthen the pipeline of future New Zealand winter Paralympians.”
Rototuna Indoor Recreation Centre Trust (The Peak), working with Parafed Waikato, have been awarded a Grant for a joint initiative expected to attract between 400 and 500 participants.
The two organisations will host a free, day-long event at The Peak on Saturday 10 October, giving people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to experience a wide range of adaptive sports, including Boccia, Wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair rugby.
The Peak Facility Manager Tiffany Ulatowski said: “Receiving the grant will allow us to promote and celebrate adaptive Para sport and recreation for both disabled and non-disabled participants,” she says.
“The day will foster inclusive participation, whānau integration, education and awareness of Para sport, while also connecting participants with Parafed Waikato to support more regular participation in Para sports.”
With 28 applicants received for the inaugural PNZ Bupa Inclusive Para Sport Grant, Paralympian #164 Cameron Leslie PLY MNZM was among the Selection Panel and said choosing the eight successful initiatives was challenging.
“The breadth and depth of applications was awesome to see, and it did not make selecting the eight successful applicants an easy task,” he says. “Having reached our decision, we are hugely excited by the initiatives selected, which will make a real difference to disabled people in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“Whether it is enabling people to experience Para sport for the first time, removing barriers to participation or creating stronger pathways, I’m really excited to see the impact these initiatives will have on their respective communities.”
Michael Burgess, Bupa New Zealand’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, who was also on the selection panel, added, “The response to the programme has shown there is a real need for this kind of support. We’re grateful that through Bupa’s Global Inclusive Sports Initiative, we can do our bit here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“Thank you to everyone who applied. We know how much work goes into creating opportunities for people to take part in Para sport, and we’re grateful for the passion and commitment shown across the sector. We’re proud to support these projects and the difference they’ll make for people, whānau and communities.”
Grants awarded in 2026 are part of an initial targeted pilot. PNZ and Bupa are fully comm
itted to exploring a further Grant programme in 2027 and beyond, to continue to provide support for more inclusive Para sport opportunities across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Other successful Grant recipients in 2026 are:
- Cycling NZ – Ride Together Cycling New Zealand, an initiative designed to build inclusive Para cycling capability across different regions.
- Boccia NZ / New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby / Wheelchair Basketball New Zealand – Discover Para Sport, Find Your Community, a multi-Para sport event in Christchurch providing an entry point for people with physical impairments to experience Para sport.
- Table Tennis Northland – Para Play, an inclusive Para table tennis programme for people with physical and intellectual impairments, including multiple school sessions and transition sessions at Northland Table Tennis Club.
- Waka Ama Aotearoa NZ – Kaihoe Whaikaha – Waka Ama Have a Go Days, a national initiative designed to introduce disabled people and their whānau to waka ama.
- Athletics NZ – Para Athletics System Growth and Inclusion Programme, combining initiatives to grow Para athletics in Aotearoa New Zealand by strengthening capability across clubs, coaches, and coach developers.
- Volleyball NZ – Volleyball for Everyone, a national inclusive initiative designed to deliver sustainable opportunities to grow sitting volleyball across Aotearoa New Zealand.
