 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Neroli Susan Fairhall (1944-08-26)26 August 1944 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Died | 11 June 2006(2006-06-11) (aged 61) |
| Sport | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sport | Archery |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Commonwealth finals | No |
Medal record | |
Neroli Susan FairhallMBE (26 August 1944 – 11 June 2006) was a New Zealand athlete, who was the firstparaplegic competitor in theOlympic Games.
Born inChristchurch in 1944, Fairhall took uparchery following a motorbike accident that paralysed her from the waist down, ending her previous athletic career.
Fairhall won gold when archery was first introduced to theCommonwealth Games inBrisbane in1982.
She finished in 35th place at the1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Fairhall was the first paraplegic to compete in the Olympic Games.[1]
Fairhall was a multiple national champion and won medals and held titles at theParalympics, IPC-Archery World Championships and many international tournaments. She participated in four Summer Paralympics, in 1972, 1980, 1988, and 2000. At her first Paralympic Games she competed intrack and field athletics.[2] At the1980 Games, she took part in both athletics and archery, winning a gold medal in the latter sport. At the1988 and2000 Paralympics she competed in archery only.[3]
In the1983 New Year Honours, Fairhall was appointed aMember of the Order of the British Empire, for services to archery and the disabled.[4] She continued to coach at herChristchurch archery club after retiring from shooting. She died on 11 June 2006, aged 61, due to illness arising from her disability.[1]
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lonsdale Cup of theNew Zealand Olympic Committee 1982 | Succeeded by David Barnes and Hamish Willcox |
