A 25-strong NZ Paralympic Team will wear the fern with pride as the final make up of Para athletes and 40 Support Staff
was confirmed today for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
At the Farewell event staged in Auckland tonight (Wednesday 24 July) the Team – which will feature Para athletes across
eight Para sports, two more than at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, was unveiled.
The Team comprises 11 Para athletes who will make their Paralympic debuts and 14 Paralympians who have appeared at
previous Paralympic Games. Leading the way is Paralympian #148 Michael Johnson MNZM (Shooting Para sport), who is making
a record-equalling sixth Paralympic Games appearance for New Zealand to match the feat of Paralympian #4 Graham Condon
QSM (who competed between 1968-1988).
The Team features Wojtek Czyz, the first New Zealand Para athlete to in compete Para badminton, Matthew Britz, the first
Para table tennis player for 48 years and Neelam O’Neill, the first female Shooting Para sport athlete for 40 years.
Featuring 11 women and 14 men, the Team has a broad geographic spread from across New Zealand, with Para athletes
hailing from Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Canterbury, West
Coast and Otago.
The cultural make-up of Para athletes forming the NZ Paralympic Team includes - Chinese, Maori, Tongan, Dutch, Samoan,
Fijian-Indian and South African.
The oldest member of the Team for Paris 2024 is 62-year-old Paralympian #204 Greg Reid (Shooting Para sport), with the
youngest member Para swimmer Gabriella Smith, 18.
Paralympian #164 Cameron Leslie MNZM and Paralympian #195 Anna Grimaldi MNZM were also unveiled at the Farewell event as
the two New Zealand Paralympic Team flagbearers for the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which takes
place along the Avenue Champs Elysees and the Place de la Concorde on 29 August (NZ time).
Leslie, a three-time Paralympic swimming gold medallist, said of being given the role: “It’s an absolute honour and
something incredibly humbling. I’m proud to be part of the history of the Paralympic Movement in New Zealand and to lead
the Paris 2024 Team at the Opening Ceremony is going to be special. I know many people who have supported me over the
years will be super stoked.”
Grimaldi, who has claimed back-to-back Paralympic long jump T47 titles at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games, said: “I
couldn’t be more honoured to be one of the Team flagbearers with Cam. When I was asked, I was really emotional. To have
been thought of as a leader in this space makes me proud of how far I’ve come in my career.
“I can’t wait to get to Paris and carry the flag alongside Cam. It is going to be one of the highlights of my career.”
Raylene Bates MNZM, the NZ Paralympic Team Chef de Mission, said she is looking forward to leading the NZ Paralympic
Team as the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
“I’m very excited and honoured to lead such a diverse team of athletes, which includes a healthy blend of Paralympic
debutants and seasoned campaigners across eight different Para sports.
“For the NZ Paralympic Team to comprise Para athletes across such a range of Para sports, including our first ever Para
badminton player, bodes well not only for our potential success in Paris but also for future Games.
“Some of our athletes are ranked very highly and there is a high level of expectation but from my perspective it is all
about providing an environment which allows the Para athletes to perform at their best both in Paris and at the Shooting
Para sport base in Chateauroux.
“We are thrilled to be competing in Paris, which is hosting a Paralympic Games for the first time. The city has a proven
track record of hosting magnificent sporting events - and we can’t wait to get over to the French capital and compete.”
For a full list of Para athletes and Support Staff as part of the NZ Paralympic Team for the Paris 2024 Paralympic
Games, go to the Paris 2024 page on our website.
About the New Zealand Paralympic TeamThe NZ Paralympic Team in Paris 2024 boasts 25 Para athletes across 8 Para sports.The NZ Paralympic Team is one of New Zealand’s most successful sport teams, consistently performing on the world stage.
In Tokyo 2020, the Team placed 4th in the world per capita, with 97% of the Team having top 8 finishes.The NZ Paralympic Team strives to challenge perceptions towards disability, showcasing high performance athletes who
prove anything is possible.SinceTel Aviv 1968 Paralympic Games, 227 New Zealand Paralympianshave been part of New Zealand Paralympic
Teamscompetingat26 Paralympic Games (14 summer and 12 winter) winning a staggering 236 medals (201 in summer and 35 in
winter).One Team, One Spirit is the brand positioning of the New Zealand Paralympic Team, created to remind New Zealanders of
our pride and desire to succeed on the world stage. The idea of Team is central to One Team, One Spirit … when Para
athletes, support staff and fans unite, we are One Spirit taking on the world.