dsport are pleased to announce a funding boost from the Sport New Zealand Tu Manawa fund and Lottery Grants Covid-19 Well-being fund.

The Tu Manawa fund, administered by Sport Wellington, provides funding for programmes or projects delivering play, active recreation, and sport experiences for tamariki and rangatahi. These may be new or already operating. Some groups who are more at risk of missing out or being less active, including those living with a disability.

Sport Wellington have partnered with dsport to provide a range of opportunities for disabled young people in our region aimed at increasing participation. Opportunities include our highly successful Youth Group.

Lottery Grants have also come on board with dsport recognising New Zealand's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People and the lack of opportunities available in sport and active recreation.

dsport thanks Sport New Zealand, Sport Wellington and Lottery Grants Board for their belief in us and helping us make a difference in the lives of disabled New Zealanders through sport.

In partnership with Peke Waihanga Artificial Limb Service, dsport delivers the Kids Get Active days. This initiative started a few years ago in Wellington and we are now delivering across the country. 

The aim of the 1-day programme is to give young amputees an activity day, based around an athletics fundamental skills, help them to meet other young amputees, connect with local disability sports organisations, and have a fun day out.

It's also a great opportunity for family and whanau to network and make new connections.

This summer season we have delivered the programme in Hawkes Bay, Palmerston North, Auckland, Dunedin and Christchurch. We are planning on a final event in Tauranga in late summer.

On Tuesday 17 November, dsport President Alan Signal was invited to give the closing speech at the PNZ Celebration Project where 18 Paralympians were awarded their numbered pins by Governor General Patsy Reddy. Here is what Alan had to say.

Firstly, congratulations to all the Paralympians who this evening received their numbered pins, what an honour it has been to be here to celebrate with you.

For many, the Paralympics is the sporting pinnacle we all aspire to.

But for most, like me, we can only be inspired by your achievements.

As I look around the room I see an amazing group of people who are succeeding and excelling both in their sporting careers and also their professional careers. Some of you I know and have worked with, others I know by reputation. So I am humbled to have been asked to speak to you tonight.

As a young boy with CP growing up in the Wairarapa, I thought nothing of playing with my friends and classmates. I didn’t want to see myself as disabled, but I knew I had limited options to progress in sport. I made the Masterton rep team in cricket but that’s as far as I was going to go… can you imagine these shoes running between the wickets!! 

It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I found dsport and the opportunities for me to play wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. For me, this has been a new chapter in my journey of discovery. It’s one I’m pleased to have found and I which I am totally committed to.

As President of dsport, I have the privilege of assisting disabled people in our region with their journey’s in sport. I am particularly proud of our disabled young people who are getting involved.

For many, their journey is not an easy one, but we do try to make it as accessible and as fun as possible.

Our Youth Group, with over 100 members, provides the gateway for their engagement. We are very fortunate this Group is run by your colleague Kate Horan, Paralympian Number 145.

Kate brings her knowledge and insight of high performance, her groundedness as a mum and grandmother, as well as her passion for inclusion, sense of humour and love of fun to the role.

This year we have been able to increase our support to our talented athletes. We are now seeing a number of our Youth Group members breaking age group records, Corran in Para athletics and Erin in Para swimming; while Johan is vying for a place in the Wheelblacks. Their eyes are firmly set on wearing the fern in Paris 2024 and beyond.

We are confident of what we see as a positive future for disabled young people in our region. We are proud of our 50 years of work in delivering disability sport and believe the legacy which we are celebrating today, with all of our Paralympians here, is providing the vision and inspiration for future generations.

To finish off, I would like to say to our Paralympians, their families, whanau and friends, thank you for all your hard mahi and determination and support you shown during your sporting career.

Thank you too for your ongoing commitment to making Wellington, and New Zealand, a better place to live and play.

Without you all, our job at dsport where we inspire, enable and achieve, would be much harder.

Bring on Tokyo 2020 … 1 !!!