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 and gold at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.

Tupou Neiufi
Personal information
Born (2001-06-15) 15 June 2001
Mangere East, Auckland, New Zealand
Sport
SportSwimming
ClassificationsS8, SB8, SM8
CoachSheldon Kemp
Medal record
Women's para swimming
Representing  New Zealand
Summer Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 100 m backstroke S8
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 London 100 m backstroke S8
Bronze medal – third place2023 Manchester100 m backstroke S8
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 2022 Birmingham 100 m backstroke S8

Early life

Born in the Auckland suburb of Mangere East in 2001, Neiufi is the eldest child of Tongan New Zealanders Lose and Fineasi Neiufi. She has six younger siblings.[1][2] At age two, Neiufi was run over in a hit-and-run accident and suffered damage to the right side of her head. She suffered bruising on the brain, hypertonia and has a left-sided hemiplegia and as a result the left side of her brain is smaller than the right, causing slower processing at times.[3] The left side of her body is also smaller and weaker than the right. After the accident, Neiufi had to be taught how to sit, walk and use her arms again.

As a child, she wanted to play netball but had difficulty keeping up with the other players. Her physiotherapist suggested she try swimming, and she started swimming at about nine years of age and competing the following year.[3][4]

Neiufi was educated at Sutton Park Primary School and later Otahuhu College.[1][5]

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.[6] In 2016, she was named a reserve for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, and was selected in August after fellow swimmer Bryall McPherson had to withdraw through injury.[3] Neiufi competed in the women's 100 m backstroke S9, placing seventh.[6]

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

Neiufi was a silver medallist in the 100 m backstroke S8 at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London.[7] She won New Zealand's first gold at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in the 100m backstroke S8 in Tokyo.[8]

Awards and recognition

In 2017 Neiufi won the Pacific Health and Wellbeing Award at the SunPix Pacific Peoples Awards in Auckland, New Zealand. She also received the 2017 Tongan Youth Excellence Award in the Senior Athlete category from the To’utupu Tonga Youth Trust.[3][9]

References
  1. "Inspiration | 10 year old Tupou Neiufi". Creative Talanoa. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  2. "Tupou Neiufi". Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation. 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  3. "Tupou Neiufi - Swimming | Paralympic Athlete Profile". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  4. Forsyth, Lachlan (3 December 2016). "Against the odds, Tupou Neiufi represented New Zealand at the Rio 2016 Paralympics". Stuff. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  5. Heta, Jorja (17 October 2016). "Q&A with Tupou Neiufi: the life of a young para-swimmer". Tearaway. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  6. "Tupou Neiufi". Paralympics New Zealand. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  7. "Two more medals for NZ at World Para Swimming Champs". Radio New Zealand. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  8. "Tokyo Paralympics: Tupou Neiufi wins New Zealand's first gold in 100m backstroke S8". Stuff. 27 August 2021.
  9. "Pasifika Futures Tonga youth leaders recognised". pasifikafutures.co.nz. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
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