Weightlifting: Lean advocate for Parafed Otago, 45 years on

Bill Lean was one of the pioneers of elite parafed sport when it was introduced to New Zealand in the 1960s.

Lean (68) is the only survivor of the three Dunedin paraplegic athletes who competed at the Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Jamaica in 1966.

The others were Fr Leo Close and Graeme Marett.

Fr Close introduced paraplegic sport to New Zealand when he was a priest in Dunedin in the 1960s.

The work of the trio was highlighted at the 45th anniversary dinner of Parafed Otago this week.

Lean, these days a member of the Parafed Otago committee, competed in international paraplegic sport from 1966 to 1980.

A highlight was the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Dunedin when he won a gold medal in heavyweight weightlifting with a world record total of 202.50kg.

At the Paralympics at Toronto, Canada, in 1976, Lean won the gold medal in the shot put with a world record distance of 8.87m.

Lean was aged 19 when he fell out of a tree and became a paraplegic.

It was a traumatic time but his approach to the injury was positive.

"You could sit there and sulk about it which doesn't do you any good or you can get off your butt and go out and do something," Lean said.

"That was my philosophy."

Life was not easy for a paraplegic who wanted to become an elite athlete.

"We had to work five days a week and train after work. We competed in archery on Saturday and it was back into training on Sunday morning."

Everyday problems are multiplied for a paraplegic.

"I know I'm disabled when I try to get out of bed in the morning," Lean said.

"Only the bits of my body that I can't feel are not aching.

"By the time I've gone to the bathroom, got dressed and gone down the path to get the newspaper I've warmed my body up a bit and am moving a bit more freely."

Lean is disappointed the Fespic Games are no more.