Neroli Fairhall
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Neroli Susan Fairhall MBE (born on August 26, 1944 in Christchurch, died June 11, 2006) was a New Zealand athlete, who was the first paraplegic competitor in the Olympic Games.
Following a motorbike accident which paralysed her from the waist down ending her previous athletic career she took up archery and was able to compete in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, shooting for New Zealand. She came 35th. Fairhall was the first paraplegic to compete in the Olympic Games.
Fairhall won gold when archery was first introduced to the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in 1982.
A national champion for many years, Fairhall won medals and held titles at Paralympics, IPC-Archery World Championships and many international tournaments.
Fairhall, awarded an MBE for services to the sport, competed at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney.
She continued to coach at her Christchurch archery club after retiring from shooting.
She died on 11 June 2006, aged 61, due to illness arising from her disability. [1]
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