If there is somebody who is determined to make their dreams a reality, look no further than Eligh Fountain.
The 25-year-old has faced countless challenges since a life-changing car accident in 2018 that left him wheelchair-bound. From the depths of depression, Fountain has rediscovered his purpose through sport and isnow targeting representing New Zealand at the Paralympics as an air rifle shooter.
To do this, he travels from Matauri Bay, north of Kerikeri down to Mt Eden twice a month, as the Parafed Auckland Shooting Club is his closest training facility.
But he doesn’t let that stop him because of the role it has played in his life, offering the chance to engage with something he loves and be around people with other disabilities.
“Passion outweighs money,” said Fountain. “You can’t put a price on doing something you love.
“I want to show that firearms can be safe and can help people’s mental health. They gave me a sense of purpose and helped pull me out of dark places.”
Fountain is a proud Northlander at heart and spent a lot of his youth in the outdoors, playing sports including tennis and judo, and interacting with nature, whether at the beach or hunting.
Unsure what direction life would take him in, Fountain started working as a concrete layer after leaving high school.
Weeks later, Fountain was in a car accident that changed his life.
Eligh Fountain's car after his accident. Photo / Supplied
He was driving his two-door Toyota with a friend in the car, and coming around a blind corner, he overcorrected, and the car went tumbling.
Fountain says the accident felt like it played out in slow motion.
“I got tossed into the passenger side, and my passenger got tossed into mine,” said Fountain. “No airbags went off.
“When we stopped, my passenger was on the roof of the car. I shook him for about a minute until he woke up. That minute, thinking I’d killed someone, still gives me the heebie-jeebies.
“There was a fire crew nearby in Waipapa, just finishing up a house fire. They got to us quickly and that’s why I’m still alive today.
“I got airlifted to Middlemore Hospital with my dad. I still remember lying on the table before emergency surgery.”
Fountain had suffered six broken ribs, a deflated lung, a broken collarbone, and a broken back, which resulted in him becoming a T4 paraplegic.
Six days later, Fountain was told he wouldn’t walk again. Having initially thought he’d just broken his legs, he found the news hard to take.
Standing at 193cm and 105kg before the accident, Fountain has lost nearly half his body weight.
Despite that, he tried to make the most of learning his new life, but two years on, Fountain says that’s when the mental battle began.
“Nurses at the spinal centre told me I’d get the best recovery within two years, so I clung to that,” said Fountain.
“When two years passed and I still wasn’t walking, I went into a bad depression.”
Eligh Fountain. Photo / Paralympics NZ
He initially tried wheelchair basketball but admits he’s not into team sports as much because “he can blame someone else” and prefers a sport where everything falls on him.
One day, he noticed a clay pigeon shooting range while driving and decided to re-engage in his passion for shooting.
However, the sport was not part of the Shooting Para sport programme at the Paralympic Games at the time, although it will be included at the 2028 games.
One of his carers told him about air rifle target shooting, so Fountain decided to make the trip down to Auckland, where he gets to train alongside three-time Paralympian medallist Michael Johnson, somebody he aspires to be like.
The rest is history.
“Target shooting gave me a new focus,” said Fountain. “There’s real longevity in it. If you put in the work, you can be one of the best even at 45.
“Clay bird shooting and the gym helped me get used to being around people again.
“Target shooting gave me a sense of community, not just physically, but mentally.
“It taught me how to carry myself around people with different disabilities. It made me want to be the best version of myself, not just the best shooter or wheelchair athlete, but the best man I can be.”
Fountain is focusing on the 10m shooting variant. The goal of shooting is to place a series of shots inside the centre ring (bullseye) of the target. The target is comprised of 10 concentric scoring rings with a score grade of 1 to 10, the central ring giving 10 points.
In many events, to showcase the athletes’ skill and accuracy, the scoring rings are each further subdivided into a further 10 scoring zones to give decimal scoring system, with 10.9 being the very centre of the target and the highest possible score per shot.
To give context, the bullseye is 0.5mm, with the pellet being 0.45mm.
While there is still plenty of work to be done, Fountain is dreaming big of being in LA in 2028.
“A gold medal? That’s the dream, but for me, having my last name, Fountain, next to a Paralympic number that’ll be in the history books forever. That’s priceless.
“I’ve got a team around me who push me to be better, not just as an athlete, but as a human being.
“They make me believe it’s achievable, even in a disability sport. It’s not just about being the best shooter in a chair, it’s about being the best, full stop.”
Eligh Fountain at the shooting range. Photo / Paralympics NZ
Part of the challenge for Fountain in chasing his dream is the cost, because of the travelling he does, along with all the gear needed to take part in shooting.
A competition firearm can cost at least $10,000 and that doesn’t include all the little extras like pellets, tools and a shooting jacket.
Fountain credits the Para Sport Collective – supported by ACC – for helping him to adjust, along with support from Te Pou and Jubalie Trust.
“It’s bloody amazing. You couldn’t put enough words into a paragraph to explain how good it’s been,” said Fountain.
“I’m a bit of a loner up north, so being around other athletes, people in chairs, it’s helped me learn how to navigate different disabilities, how to talk to people, how systems like ACC and the Ministry of Health actually work.”
Despite his setbacks, Fountain still tries to live life to the fullest. Getting to drive his car has provided a sense of relief, and he’s also had the chance to go fishing, thanks to Wish4Fish and some friends.
While he’s content with how things are, there are some challenges.
“Driving, going to the gym, and shooting firearms, that’s what makes me happiest,” said Fountain. “I’m a Northland boy, simple things matter.
“But disabled car parks in Kerikeri, there aren’t enough. When there are, they’re usually on narrow one-lane roads.
“I drive a big Ford Ranger, so if I open my door, I’m basically on the main road. The curbs are steep, too. I often have to park in private business car parks just to get out safely.”
If you want to support Eligh on his journey, click here
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.
