Tiffiney Perry appointed to charitable trust board
Life Unlimited Charitable Trust has appointed former Paralympian and New York Marathon handcyclist champion Tiffiney Perry to its board replacing
long-standing board member Andrew Smith.
Her first board meeting was held earlier last week in Hamilton.
Perry said she was “excited” by her appointment to the trust board.
“I am looking forward to learning more about the many services that Life Unlimited offers to people in the community
that need assistance, whether it be hearing, mobility, autistic needs and community support.
“I am particularly excited to learn of the support that Life Unlimited facilitates for young people with an intellectual
disability as they transition from school to the workforce. I’m keen to provide my lived experience and support to the
team at Life Unlimited.”
Perry is a trustee of the Brian Perry Charitable Trust, which supports community projects in the Waikato and partners
with organisations to build stronger communities. She is the current co chair of Parafed Waikato, a not for profit
organisation that promotes and provides sport and recreation opportunities for people with physical disabilities and
visual impairments. She is also secretary of New Zealand Wheelchair Tennis.
She has represented New Zealand at the Athens Paralympics in 2004 playing wheelchair tennis. More recently, she has
represented New Zealand in hand cycling at various world cups and world championships around the world.
Last year, she won the female handcycle category of the New York marathon in 2 hours 03 minutes and 58 seconds.
Perry is married to Chris Harvey and has two children Emma and Jack. She broke her back in a skiing accident when she
was 23 and lost the feeling in the lower half of her body.
Board chair John Dobson, a co-founder of the trust, said Perry brought governance skills and a first-hand experience of
what it means to be disabled.
“Our vision as an organisation is ‘Living independence for everyone’ and Tiffiney is a perfect example of that.”
Life Unlimited’s other board members are: Life Unlimited co-founder Bruce Tocker, Lindsay Cumberpatch and Anthea
Simcock.
ENDS