New Plymouth, New Zealand (22 November 2014) – New Zealand Paralympian Corey Peters (New Plymouth) has been named Senior Sportsman of the Year at the Taranaki Daily News 2014 Sportsperson of the Year awards. Peters was presented with the award at a ceremony held in his hometown of New Plymouth on Friday evening.
"It really is quite humbling to receive the Sportsman of the Year award in my home town where I grew up,” says Peters. “I want to thank Sport Taranaki for their continued support, also to The Taranaki Elite Athletes Foundation and TSB Community Trust for their financial support in allowing me to do what I do.
“Finally to Snow Sports NZ for giving me the greatest opportunity to perform on the world stage and be successful at it."
Peters, who only took up adaptive ski racing in 2011, won a silver medal in Giant Slalom at the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi in March this year. His selection to the New ZealandParalympic Winter Team came off the back off strong results at International Paralympic Committee races. Throughout January and February 2014 Corey tallied up one silver world cup medal, two gold and three silver North America cup medals.
Following a devastating motor cross accident in 2009 which left the keen sportsman paralysed and facing life in a wheelchair Peters remained determined to return to competitive sport. He began sit skiing in 2011 and enjoyed almost immediate success, taking gold in the men’s adaptive sit-ski event at the Para-Snowboard Winter Games in 2011.
Corey began spending his New Zealand winters training at Cardrona Alpine Resort in Wanaka, and based himself at Colorado’s Winter Park for the northern hemisphere season. The hard work began to pay off and more results followed.
Peters won a silver medal in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Slalom staged as part of the 2013 Audi quattro Winter Games NZ followed by a gold medal in the IPC Super-Combined World Cup and a bronze in the IPC World Cup Super-G. At the 2013 Snow Sports NZ Annual Awards he won the Breakthrough Season award.
At the Paralympic Winter Games he placed fourth in the Super Combined and sixth in the Super G, saving the best result for last with a silver medal winning performance in the Giant Slalom on the very last day of competition for the New Zealand team.
Corey Peters was named 2014 Snow Sports NZ Athlete of the Year and is a finalist in the Attitude Awards; the winners will be announced at an award ceremony on 3 December.
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