Tupou Neiufi

Tupou Neiufi
Personal information
Born (2001-06-15) 15 June 2001
Mangere East, New Zealand
Sport
Sport Swimming
Classifications S9
Coach Sheldon Kemp

Tupou Neiufi (born 15 June 2001) is a New Zealand para-swimmer who represented her country at the 2016 Summer Paralympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Early life and family

The eldest of seven children, Neiufi was born in Mangere East on 15 June 2001 to Tongan New Zealanders Lose and Fineasi Neiufi.[1][2] Neiufi was hit by a speeding car in 2004, when she was two years old, and suffered damage to the right side of her head. As a result, she has a left sided hemiplegia and the left side of her body is smaller and weaker than the right. She was not expected to be able to walk as a child; however, she learnt to walk and, when she was about nine years old, started swimming.[3]

Neiufi attended Sutton Park Primary School in Mangere, South Auckland, and in 2018 attends Otahuhu College.[1][4]

Swimming career

In 2011, Paralympics New Zealand selected Neiufi for coaching and High Performance Sport New Zealand selected her for their sport services and support programme.[5] In 2016, Neiufi represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. She competed in the women’s 100 m backstroke S9, placing seventh.[5]

In 2017 Neiufi received a Tonga Youth Excellence Award in Sports from the To’utupu Tonga Youth Trust.[6]

Neuifi represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, competing in the 100 m backstroke S9, and finishing in sixth place in the final.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Inspiration | 10 year old Tupou Neiufi". Creative Talanoa. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Tupou Neiufi". Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation. 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  3. ↑ Forsyth, Lachlan. "Against the odds, Tupou Neiufi represented New Zealand at the Rio 2016 Paralympics". Stuff. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  4. ↑ Heta, Jorja (17 October 2016). "Q&A with Tupou Neiufi: the life of a young para-swimmer". Tearaway. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Tupou Neiufi". Paralympics New Zealand. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Pasifika Futures Tonga youth leaders recognised". pasifikafutures.co.nz. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
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