For this month’s Athlete Spotlight, we talked to Hannah Jones, a vision impaired skier. After first having a go at skiing in 2019, Hannah developed a love for the sport and has been hitting the slopes ever since.

Last year John Puhara was named as the first Blind Sport New Zealand Life Member, in recognition of his outstanding individual contribution to blind and low vision sport within New Zealand. We sat down with John to learn more about his experiences in blind and low vision sport throughout the years.

Five years ago, Wellington based Fletch was diagnosed with keratoconus, which has caused his vision to deteriorate. Fletch, now aged 15, is involved in a range of sports, and has seen some outstanding success, including winning multiple medals at the Special Olympics. Read on to learn more about Fletch’s experiences of playing sport with a vision impairment.

For Auckland based Thomas Coysh, sport has always been a big part of his life. As a teenager, Thomas was diagnosed with a genetic condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, which causes loss of vision. His deteriorating vision forced him to learn new ways to keep active. These days Thomas is involved in the many adapted sport opportunities available to him, and is about to go to Outward Bound for the second time.