Para-athletics encompasses athletics (track and field) for athletes with a range of disabilities — including wheelchair racing, visual impairment running with guide runners, amputee field events, and cerebral palsy throwing. Athletics New Zealand and Paralympics NZ govern para-athletics. New Zealand has produced Paralympic athletics competitors across multiple disciplines. This guide covers the key funding sources.
Athletics NZ governs para-athletics:
- Track events (wheelchair racing, sprint, distance)
- Field events (throws, jumps for adaptive athletes)
- Paralympic classification events
- National championship events
- Paralympic pathway
Contact Athletics NZ and your regional athletics body for Sport NZ investment access.
Paralympics NZ funds para-athletics as a core Paralympic sport:
- National programme investment
- High performance pathway
- Paralympic selection
Sport NZ funds para-athletics through Athletics NZ and Paralympics NZ:
- Para-sport development investment
- Community participation
RSTs fund community para-athletics clubs.
RSTs fund para-athletics clubs:
- Equipment grants for racing wheelchairs and adaptive equipment
- Junior para-athletics development
- Women's participation
Key RSTs:
- Aktive Auckland: Auckland para-athletics community
- Sport Wellington: Wellington adaptive athletics
- Sport Canterbury: Christchurch para-athletics
CCS Disability Action and related organisations:
- Equipment and inclusion grants for disability sport
- Community access for athletes with physical disability
Gaming trusts fund para-athletics clubs:
- Four Winds Foundation: Disability sport and community organisations
- Grassroots Trust: Community sport and recreation
- Pub Charity: Equipment and community grants
- Lion Foundation: Community sport
Gaming trust applications for para-athletics:
- Racing wheelchairs — $3,000–$8,000+ each
- Racing wheelchair maintenance and parts
- Throwing frames for seated field athletes — $800–$3,000+
- Guide tethers for VI runners
- Training equipment for various classifications
Equipment varies significantly by classification:
T53/T54 (wheelchair racing):
- Racing wheelchair: $3,000–$8,000+; marathon chairs higher
- Racing gloves: Pushing gloves
T11–T13 (visual impairment):
- Guide tether: $30–$100 — connects VI runner to guide runner
- Minimal equipment cost — standard athletics gear otherwise
F series (field events):
- Throwing frame: For seated athletes — $800–$3,000+
T61–T64 (prosthetic use):
- Running prosthesis: Carbon-fibre blade — $10,000–$25,000+
Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People and ACC:
- Running prostheses potentially fundable through disability support or ACC rehabilitation
- Equipment that enables para-athletics participation
Athletics NZ and Paralympics NZ use the same IPC classification system:
- T11–T13: Visual impairment
- T20: Intellectual impairment
- T33–T38: Coordination impairment
- T42–T47: Limb impairment/short stature
- T51–T54: Wheelchair
- T61–T64: Prosthetic/amputee
Junior development:
- Youth para-athletics pathway: Development competition for young para-athletes
- Schools athletics: Physical education for students with disabilities
- Junior competition: Age-grade events at regional and national level
Lottery Sport: Community para-athletics clubs with active competition programmes.
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Participant numbers: Athletes by classification, age, and gender
- Equipment: Racing wheelchairs, throwing frames — specific list by classification
- Paralympic pathway: Connection to national competition and team
- Disability inclusion: Programme accessible for diverse disability types
- Guide runner programme: Support infrastructure for VI runners
- Junior development: Youth para-athletics pathway
- Organisation governance: Affiliation to Athletics NZ and Paralympics NZ
Tahua's grants management platform helps para-athletics clubs manage grant applications across Athletics NZ, Paralympics NZ, Sport NZ, RSTs, and disability funders, tracking equipment, classification, and Paralympic pathway outcomes.