Tupou Neiufi
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. She won a silver medal at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 15 June 2001 Mangere East, New Zealand | |||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||
| Classifications | S9 | |||||||||||||
| Coach | Sheldon Kemp | |||||||||||||
Medal record
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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]
Neuifi was a silver medallist in the 100 m backstroke S8 at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London.[7]
References
- "Inspiration | 10 year old Tupou Neiufi". Creative Talanoa. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- "Tupou Neiufi". Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation. 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- Forsyth, Lachlan. "Against the odds, Tupou Neiufi represented New Zealand at the Rio 2016 Paralympics". Stuff. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- Heta, Jorja (17 October 2016). "Q&A with Tupou Neiufi: the life of a young para-swimmer". Tearaway. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- "Tupou Neiufi". Paralympics New Zealand. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- "Pasifika Futures Tonga youth leaders recognised". pasifikafutures.co.nz. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- "Two more medals for NZ at World Para Swimming Champs". Radio New Zealand. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.