Paralysed netball umpire Gabby Wright sets sights on Paralympics 2028

Nine years after a common cold left her paralysed, Gabby Wright has defied all the odds, officiating netball matches in a wheelchair while she strives toward her ultimate dream: representing her country as a Paralympic wheelchair racer.

Wright was a healthy 12-year-old in 2016 – with a dream of playing for the Silver Ferns – when she was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord causing paralysis.

She was playing in a netball tournament one day and was unable to walk the next – eventually becoming paralysed from the waist down.

A cold two or three weeks earlier likely caused a viral infection that led to the inflammation.

When Wright’s life took an unexpected turn, she refused to let adversity stand in the way of her sporting dreams.

At 15 – three years after the medical injury – and with the support of her netball community, Wright worked her way up to becoming a netball umpire officiating school matches.

“[I was] managing for a couple of years and I was getting bored of it,” Wright told the Herald.

“Netball is still a sport that I love, I wanted to be able to play it and there wasn’t any opportunity for me to play it in a wheelchair so mum suggested ‘why don’t you have a go at umpiring?’ And we asked my club about it and they were totally willing to support that and it kind of just happened from there.

Howick Pakūranga Netball Centre was the first to support the now 20-year-old’s umpiring journey before she went on to officiate games at school and university levels.

Wright – who is also a co-chair on Netball New Zealand’s youth board – said netball’s court boundaries and placement of umpires made for a seamless transition as she navigated umpiring from a wheelchair.

“You’ve got your own lane, so no one can really stand in [your way], it’s perfect.

Netball umpire, Gabby Wright. Photo / Netball New Zealand

“Usually I’ll discuss with the other umpire beforehand on which side I’d prefer to go on. I choose the less busy side – I’ll usually go on the opposite side to the bench just so I have that extra room because when I’m umpiring, I’m focusing so much on the game that I don’t want to run anyone over by accident.”

Wright said it sometimes becomes a struggle using the traditional hand signals, given she needs her hands to wheel her wheelchair up and down the court.

“Just because I’m using my hands for everything, it gets a bit chaotic.

“I do manage a few hand signals, but I make sure I’m very clear and like my calls and what I’m saying out loud just vocally, just so they can and the other umpire can hear me properly and what I’m saying, and I will do a few hand signals when I can.”

Gabby Wright is also a wheelchair racer for New Zealand. Photo / Netball New Zealand

As Wright completes a Bachelor of Architecture at Auckland University of Technology, she’s recently taken a step back from umpiring to focus on qualifying for the 2028 Paralympic Games in wheelchair racing.

“For me personally, I don’t want to take [umpiring] to that level – I’m really happy doing it more as a hobby.

“All my time energy goes towards [wheelchair racing], but I’m finding [netball umpiring is a] thing I do on the side just to stay involved in the game that I grew up playing and the game that I still love.”

Wright currently holds the Women’s Open T54 New Zealand Record in the 200m, 400m and 800m and has her eyes on Los Angeles.

“Going from a really sporty kid to one ending up in a wheelchair, I thought that my dreams in sport would no longer exist – however, it was far from the truth.

“If anything it has made me reach and work harder for that dream to prove to my 12-year-old freshly paralysed self and others that a disability doesn’t limit what’s possible.

“So for me, breaking those NZ records wasn’t just about going the fastest I ever have before, but more they proved to myself that I’m on the right track in achieving this ultimate goal of mine of going to the Paralympic Games.”

Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME sports team. She’s a football commentator and co-host of the Football Fever podcast, and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a fulltime journalist.