Blind Sport New Zealand

03/09/2026

Absolutely Awesome! Check out the post below from Paralympics New Zealand on the NZ duo in Tandem Cycling!

Emma Foy admits she has watched her gold medal-winning performances alongside pilot Jessie Hodges at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games “about 50 times on YouTube” since returning home.  And who can blame her?  The Kiwi duo defied expectations to defeat world-class opposition in both the Wome...

02/09/2026

Congratulations to Emma Foy and pilot Jessie Hodges, who have been selected for the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, taking place 26 October to 1 November 2026!!!

We look forward to following your journey there and cheering you on from home!! 🫶

Post share below is from Cycling New Zealand with a black flyer that has details of the event as described above and a list of the athletes selected for the event.

30/08/2026

Keen for a challenge? Take a nosey at the Halberg Foundation Recreation Camp! It is open to 17 to 21 year olds and is a great opportunity to get involved in a range of outdoor recreation activities and build confidence.

Dates are 7th to 11th December 2026 in Christchurch, 5 days and 4 nights

Their post is below or contact Rebecca in Christchurch to find out more: [email protected] 🙌

Ready to challenge yourself? 🏕️ Are you aged 17-21 and have a physical or visual impairment? Our Halberg Outdoor Recreation camp is an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, try new things and discover what you're capable of.

Across five days and four nights, you'll take part in immersive outdoor challenges designed to build confidence, courage and determination 🌟 skills that can help you tackle whatever goals you set for yourself in everyday life.

Register your interest today and take the first step towards an experience you won't forget!
https://halberg.tfaforms.net/5069336

27/08/2026

Blind Sport NZ wants to finish the week by recognising and thanking everyone who supported our Emerging Athlete Weekend at Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre in Christchurch.

A huge thank you to Rātā Foundation for their funding contribution, along with our sport partners Athletics New Zealand, and Paralympics New Zealand

We were also fortunate to have welcome pack gifts with items donated from ParaFed Canterbury, Aspiring Safety and Cookie Time! And thanks to .4891 for a huge 14kg of bananas for everyone attending the weekend!

One of the most inspiring community stories to come out of the weekend was the idea of creating our very own NZ made guiding tethers!!!

Thanks to the donation of materials and sewing from Aspiring Safety, and labels created by Foil Prints NZ in Christchurch. Due to their support Blind Sport NZ was able to bring this idea to life and gift guiding tethers to the athletes. See photo of our tethers in bright orange and yellow below!

We would also like to acknowledge the Christchurch Outpatients Eye Clinic , where athlete classification was conducted during the weekend. Thank you!

It truly takes a community to create opportunities like this, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make the first Emerging Athlete Weekend such a success. 💙🧡

27/08/2026

A Major Milestone for Blind & Low Vision Tennis in NZ!
Blind Sport New Zealand is excited to celebrate the approval of the Auckland Blind & Low Vision Tennis Open 2026 as an official International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA) Tier 5 tournament. This is the first IBTA-sanctioned blind and low vision tennis tournament in NZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are super thrilled to have secured this approval, giving players the opportunity to compete in an internationally recognised event and earn IBTA ranking points. Players competing in this Tier 5 event will be eligible to earn up to 100 ranking points.

Blind Sport NZ is supporting the event by facilitating provisional classifications New Zealand players. Start the process by becoming a Blind Sport NZ member and completing the Medical Diagnostic Form (MDF) available on our website . Further information about the classification process can be found in the tournament welcome pack and on our classification webpage.

🎾 Entries are now open through Tennis New Zealand: https://www.tennis.kiwi/play/blv/

🔗 Classification information and MDF: https://www.blindsport.kiwi/sports/classification



Image below is: Dark blue and black poster with white and yellow writing. Auckland BLV Tennis Open 2026. International Players Welcome. Sat 14th to Sun 15th November 2026 Albany Tennis Centre Auckland New Zealand. Singles and Doubles from B1 to B4, please go to Tennis NZ Blind Low Vision Tennis Page to register or email [email protected]
Logos Shown are Blind Sport NZ (who is supporting with provisional classification) and Tennis NZ.

27/08/2026

Just loving all the shares and positivity! Cycling New Zealand your support and coaching in the build up and throughout the weekend was Epic!! They even specifically trained up Pilots to Match the stats of the partipants coming along for the weekend!
If you are interested in being trained as a pilot on a tandem, let us or Cycling New Zealand know!

Below is a post from Cycling NZ showing some of the photos from their sports testing session during the Emerging Athlete Weekend.

25/08/2026

Sharing a stall at today in Christchurch! Lovely to see some of the Christchurch connections in person and help support each others mahi at Parakiore!

Photo below of Chelsea and Helen from Blind Sport NZ with Hanya from Blind Low Vision Canterbury region and Hadleigh and Charlotte from ParaFed Canterbury.

ParaFed Canterbury Blind Low Vision NZ

24/08/2026

🌟 What a weekend.

This weekend, Blind Sport NZ proudly hosted an Emerging Athlete Weekend in Christchurch, bringing together athletes, whānau, coaches, classifiers and sporting organisations from across Aotearoa!!!!

Athletes took part in national classification, athletics, cycling and swimming testing, education sessions, yoga, sensory activities, guest speakers, and the unique opportunity to spend time in one of NZ's high performance sporting centres.

We loved the conversations, connections and shared experiences that happened throughout the weekend, as athletes and whānau spent time with role models, tried new experiences and learned more about where sport could take them.

One participant shared:
"I now understand sports classification and the opportunities it gives and how you can progress into elite competition."

We're incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed their time, expertise and support to make this first-of-its-kind event possible. The weekend reinforced the value of bringing people together and will help shape more connection-focused opportunities like this in the future. ❤️

Thanks to l.exton_photography for the amazing capture of the weekend. We are working to provide detailed descriptions of the photos!

20/08/2026

Tomorrow Helen and I, along with a huge collaborative team, welcome athletes, whānau, coaches, classifiers and supporters to Christchurch for the 2026 Blind Sport NZ Emerging Athlete Weekend.

We Can't Wait!!!!

Throughout the weekend, athletes will take part in testing sessions based on sports like athletics, cycling and swimming, do some yoga, attend classification appointments, hear from athletes on their experience and from experts about pathways in sport.

Thank you to our guest speakers, coaches, classifiers, volunteers and supporters, including Paralympics New Zealand Cycling New Zealand Athletics New Zealand Swimming New Zealand ParaFed Canterbury !! More thank you's and updates to come!

10/08/2026

The 2027 IBSA World Games are officially set for 26 May to 6 June 2027 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

As one of the world's premier events for blind and low vision sport, the Games will bring together athletes from across the globe to showcase determination, skill, and sporting excellence.

📍 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
📅 26 May - 6 June 2027
Blind Sport NZ looks forward to following the journey to 2027!
International Blind Sports Federation - IBSA

🗓️ THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS! 🇺🇿

The dates for the 2027 IBSA World Games are officially set! From 26 May to 06 June 2027, Tashkent, Uzbekistan will become the heart of international blind sports.

World-class athletes will take the stage to show strength, determination, and excellence. Stay tuned as we prepare for an unforgettable journey! 🚀

📍 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
🗓️ 26 May – 06 June 2027

🔗 Full details via the link in our bio!