Now, it is his turn to be a winner.
Hill, of Oamaru, has received a Paralympic New Zealand order of merit for his long service to the sport.
It is deserved recognition of Hill's status as a driving force behind the Paralympic movement to ensure that para-sport is valued as an equal alongside able-bodied sport.
He was delighted to receive the national organisation's top honour.
''It is an honour to be recognised for all the hours and hours of work,'' Hill said.
''I got so much enjoyment from travelling to countries I may never have gone to. It was a privilege to be able to do it and work with some amazing people.''
Hill began his involvement with the sport in the mid-1970s, inspired by his wife, Trish Hill, as she started her own long and accomplished career in para-sport.
Dave Hill began his service as a Paralympic New Zealand executive member in 1975 and later held the role of sports committee chairman.
His long contribution to major events included serving as team assistant at the 1980 Paralympic Games in Arnhem, assistant chef de mission in Seoul in 1988 and chef de mission in Barcelona in 1992.
He was a founding member of ParaFed North Otago in 1973, and the national organisation praised him for his ''incredible record of service'' to the region.
Clive Power, a Paralympic New Zealand board member and fellow order of merit recipient, said Hill was ''an inspiration'' to the close-knit para-sport community.
