Festival of Disability Sport returns to Tauranga with Warriors’ support

Wheelchair basketball at the Healthvision Festival of Disability Sport. Photo / supplied

• The Healthvision Festival of Disability Sport returns to Tauranga on May 10-11, featuring various sports.
• The Warriors Community Foundation will run rugby league sessions at Mercury Baypark Arena on May 11.
• Amanda Lowry emphasised the festival’s growth, inclusivity, and its role in promoting disability sport.

A high-energy sporting event bringing together physically disabled athletes from across the country is returning to Tauranga this weekend – and will feature some special guests.

The Healthvision Festival of Disability Sport, which is organised by Parafed Bay of Plenty and is one of New Zealand’s largest disability sporting events, will be held in the city for the sixth time on May 10-11.

An event highlight will be the Warriors Community Foundation team running a rugby league drills and skills session at Mercury Baypark Arena. .

Multitude of codes

Baypark Arena will host a multitude of sporting codes during the action-packed weekend – from badminton, boccia and cricket, to wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball.

Sailing sessions will be run by Sailability Tauranga at Sulphur Point on Saturday from 10am. The Tri Games – lawn bowls, petanque, and croquet – will be at Club Mount Maunganui the same day from 2pm.

Parafed Bay of Plenty board member and wheelchair rugby player Amanda Lowry said this year’s Festival of Disability Sport built on what had been established in the past five years.

“Every year the festival is growing, and we are able to offer more competitive opportunities to our sporting community, this year introducing rugby league to the already stacked agenda.”

Lowry said the festival was for anybody with a physical disability, including low vision and hearing impairments, as well as whānau, friends and supporters.

Have-a-go sessions

She said there will be have-a-go sessions on offer at Baypark throughout the weekend, which were fully inclusive for all to enjoy and were “really important for families with younger tamariki who haven’t found their sporting passion yet”.

“We want them to fall in love with disability sport – they are the athletes of the future.”

A formal awards evening event at Baypark’s Stadium Lounge on May 11 wouldcelebrate athletes competing nationally and internationally.

“We recognise the barriers that they have overcome to put Aotearoa and disability sport on the map,” Lowry said.

She encouraged anyone unfamiliar with disability sport to check out the festival.

“You will be blown away by the athleticism and the skill of our athletes, you might even get a chance to jump in a chair and give it a bash,” Lowry said.

“Watching disability sport paves the way for alternative thinking about difference – it expands ideas about athleticism, and highlights the importance of inclusion.”

There would be two-day national tournaments for both wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball as part of the festival.

A market in the foyer will offer physio and sports massage, and stalls providing information on a range of products and programmes.

Warriors visit

Healthvision’s Debra Williams said the festival was not just about sport, “it’s a powerful celebration of inclusion and the inspiring spirit of those who push boundaries every day”.

Warriors Community Foundation chief executive Lincoln Jefferson said on top of the skills and drills session, his team would lead a wheelchair rugby league showdown game on Sunday, with members of the community welcome to join in.

“Sport is for everyone. The Healthvision Festival of Disability Sport is all about giving it a go, celebrating inclusion, and having fun – whether you’re playing, supporting, or just getting involved.”

Find out more at: https://parafedbop.co.nz/healthvision-festival-of-disability-sport