Two-time Paralympic gold medallist and Wānaka resident Adam Hall has been named to the New Zealand Paralympic Team heading to the Paralympic Winter Games 2022 in Beijing.

This will be Adam’s fifth consecutive Winter Olympics and he says he is looking forward to showing his skills on one of the steepest race tracks in the world. 

“There’s been a lot of talk about the course in Beijing,” Adam said. “The course will really challenge athletes and their abilities. 

“That’s to my advantage. I love to pit myself against difficult tracks - it’s more fun than a plain sailing track that everyone is equally capable of completing.”

Adam competes across a number of standing Para alpine ski events, in the classification LW1. 

Following on from his gold medal in the men’s standing Slalom at the 2010 Vancouver Games Adam was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZOM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours (2011), for services to sport.

He added a bronze medal in Super Combined at the 2018 Games in PyeongChang before winning his second gold medal in Slalom. 

Adam was also named the winner of the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award after the PyeongChang Winter Paralympics, an award presented to only one male and one female Paralympian at each Paralympic Games who best exemplify the spirit of the Paralympic Games and the Paralympic values.

Athletes Corey Peters and Aaron Ewen were also named to the New Zealand Paralympic Team for Beijing.

In addition, the following New Zealand Paralympic Team support staff have been selected: Chef de mission Jane Stevens; deputy chef de mission Lynette Grace; head coach Ben Adams; and assistant coach Scott Palmer.

Jane Stevens, another Wānaka resident, has been with Snow Sports NZ for over ten years and has been part of the adaptive program and the athletes paralympic success over the past four Winter Paralympics. 

“Adam, Corey and Aaron will inspire a new generation of snow sports enthusiasts, both disabled and not,” Jane said. “I urge all New Zealanders to show their support by making sure to catch their performances on TV.”

The New Zealand Paralympic Team will depart New Zealand later this month for the northern

hemisphere competitions in Canada and Europe.

The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games will be held from March 4-13, 2022.

PHOTO: Supplied