Paul Curry
Patron, Life Member, Ex President, Disability Advocate
After being injured while in the Navy in 1969, Paul didn't let his spinal injury stop him from getting the most out of life.
His first foray into sport was the Friendly Games in Kawarau in 1970, doing every event from shot put and javelin, playing darts and snooker, and racing.
Originally part of the Auckland team, despite being born and bred in Upper Hutt, Paul finished the National Games with 5 gold medals. This win a wonderful result for Paul and also his father who had been on the Games organising committee. Caltex Oil, who was employed his father, became a major sponsor of Para sport for many years afterwards.
Paul represented NZ at the 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Edinburgh alongside Jim Savage and Eve Rimmer, both notable Para athletes.
dsport, formally known as Wellington Paraplegic and Physically Disabled Association, attracted Paul to the committee where he eventually became Secretary. Paul's involvement with us has spanned most of our existence (dsport was established in 1969).
Paul was appointed as a Recreation Coordinator for the Crippled Children's Society (CCS Disability) in 1976, covering the Central and Lower North Island and Nelson and Marlborough. In his biography he noted "From the day I started I had a problem with the word crippled, and I wanted the name changed to something more positive. But the word was never dropped: the name pulled at peoples' heart strings, and that was how they raised money in those days." Paul, right from the beginning was a proud disability advocate.
Reflecting on the full circle of today's youth group activities (we're planning our summer camp), in the 1970's a disability camp was held at Riversdale Beach with 70-80 disabled young people. Also at this time, dsport had a bus, which Paul borrowed to take teenagers to a camp in Rotorua. Again his reflection of the philosophy was "I refused to treat the kids as though they were fragile; if you don't experience risk, you grow up with limited self-expectations."
Through Paul's father, a connection with Sir Len Southward grew. In 1981, the International Year of Disabled Persons, in a nod to his Naval days and with the support of Len and his engineers, Paul and his mates (the Southern North Island Floating Fools - SNIFF), launched on the idea to cross Cook Strait in a hand-pedalled boat. On 6.20pm 4 March 1982, after 10 hours and 45 minutes, paddling 23 nautical miles they made landfall.
Through the 1980's Paul and the SNIFF team continued their adventures, crossing Lake Taupo, Lake Wakitipu, and then to Great Britain to attempt the English Channel challenge. To raise the $80,000 Paul again borrowed the dsport bus and hand cycled from Auckland to Wellington. Media coverage of the trip helped raise the profile of not only this challenge but also "that we were competent, capable people despite our disabilities.". Unlike the Cook Strait crossing, using a new redesigned boat Para Power II, the English Channel was paddle was uneventful and done in a record time of 6 hours and 47 minutes.
While Paul didn't really have a political bent, he did became involved in politics, as a candidate for the National Party in 1987. While he didn't succeed, he just wanted to improve things. He became involved in the Protect the Brain Trust - promoting the need for cycle helmets - as well as holding the role of Executive Director of Manawatu CCS. Paul moved from CCS to become Manager of the New Zealand Disabilities Resource Centre in Palmerston North and completed his MBA in 1993 while enjoying being a first-time father.
In the early 1990's, Paul with his wife and now 2 children, moved back to Wellington as Paul's career in the Public Service took off. This however did not stop Paul's wunderlust and in 1994 he rejoined the Para Power II team, this time to paddle the River Nile - 680 kilometres contenting high winds and 50 degrees+ temperatures.
Paul's Public Service career included roles in the Ministry of Health, Disability Support Services, Health and Disability Commissioners Office and Department of Internal Affairs. Throughout these roles, Paul's focus was on improving the lives of disabled people be it through training providers or actively advocating policy-makers. After leaving the Public Service, Paul started his own company, working in the social services, which exposed him to the difficulties many other New Zealanders were facing at the time and ultimately lead him to the role of Chief Executive of the Families Commission. His advocacy in the this space included the NZ adoption of the anti-family violence White Ribbon Campaign.
In 2013, Paul relocated to Papamoa to start a new chapter in his life, but he did not forget his involvement with us.
Paul was Patron 2004-09 and then President 2010-11, and Patron again from 2013, acknowledging that his availability to be as actively involved as he had in the past would be less. He was also chair of the Wellington Paraplegic and Physically Disabled Trust for over a decade.
Paul's adventuring spirit and keen advocacy has helped shape dsport. We will be forever grateful for his involvement.
The final words we'll leave to Paul
"It's very easy to turn yourself into a victim.... I could try and help people see obstacles as a challenge. I feel that facing a challenge and finding a solution is empowering.... I coined the phrase "There is no such thing in life as problems, only solutions."