Wanaka's Adam Hall has been named
as a finalist in the Attitude Awards, an initiative that
honours the achievements of New Zealanders living with
disabilities.
Hall (20), a Paralympic level skier, is ranked third in the
world in the slalom. He is one of three finalists for the
Attitude Sportsman Award.
Hall was born with spina bifida and counts himself lucky in
still being able to walk, as most people with the condition
are not able to.
He started skiing at age 6 and now trains year round by
following winters around the world.
Hall has demonstrated courage and he showed that having spina
bifida was no barrier to his sporting goals by winning gold
and silver medals on the world stage.
Snowsports New Zealand named him joint winner of their
athlete of the year award - alongside free skier Jossi Wells
- and he is the first Paralympian to be accepted into the
elite Pinnacle programme.
Hall was also a finalist in the junior category at the Otago
Sports awards.
His next target is to win the world title in Korea next
January.
Hall made a clean sweep of the gold medals at the Adaptive
Snow Sports Festival at Cardrona Alpine Resort last July,
winning the three men's elite events in the Disabled Snow
Sports New Zealand championships.
Originally from Outram, Hall, a full-time athlete, is basing
himself in Wanaka and the United States as he prepares for
the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics in Canada.
Hall is ranked No 2 in the world in the Paralympic slalom.
He returned home this year with seven gold medals from the
North American Cup series, a gold and two silvers in the
World Cup circuit and gold at the Wells Fargo World
Invitational, Winter Park.
The winners in each category of the Attitude Awards and an
overall Supreme Award winner will be announced at a dinner at
the Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland on December 3.
It coincides with World Disability Day.
The mastermind behind the awards is Attitude presenter and
associate producer Curtis Palmer, who plans to make this an
annual event.
"We want to celebrate young disabled people who are
inspirational in our communities," Palmer, a Wheel Black
Paralympian, said.
Hall is currently training overseas.
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