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Nicholas Apperley of Special Olympics New Zealand, gracefully spinning to the gold medal at the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. [Photo: Kishimoto] |
When you get down to it, Special Olympics is about much more than sport, it’s about societal change, and it’s rare when these two aspects merge as well as they have for Special Olympics New Zealand figure skater Nicholas Apperley, the gold medalist in figure skating at the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
This rising skater has literally pirouetted into the mainstream: in August 2004 Apperley was nominated to represent New Zealand in the Novice Men grade at the Australian National Championships, an accomplishment all the more notable since the event is historically attended by non-disabled athletes only; selection is on the basis of performance relative to mainstream skaters. It was also a significant achievement since he only moved into the Novice competitive grade in April 2004.
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Nicholas Apperley (center) waves after receiving his gold medal at the 2005 Winter Games. The silver medalist was Marc Theriau of Special Olympics Canada, and Roman Zinurov of Special Olympics Russia took bronze. [Photo: Kishimoto] |
Apperley has led a nomadic life. Born in Sydney, Australia, Apperley soon moved with his family to Wellington, New Zealand (the family is originally from New Zealand), where they lived for almost four years before finally moving to British Columbia, Canada. It was there that skating came into his life in the form of Special Olympics Canada sub-Program Dawson Creek. Prompted by a local Rotarian, Apperley was given free skating lessons as well as his first pair of skates for the general skating skills program. But it was to be a short-lived affair, as soon the family moved again, this time back to Christchurch, New Zealand.
Only one problem, Special Olympics Christchurch didn’t have a skating program. Until 2003, when his father Eric Apperley (a volunteer and team official, Christchurch Regional Committee of Special Olympics New Zealand) started up the sport for the Program, Apperley competed solely in mainstream events.
That’s right, Apperley is so good on the ice that for the better part of the last decade he’s competed against mainstream athletes — on pure merit. And a lot of hard work. He trains four mornings a week for five hours, plus additional off-ice exercises. An all-around achiever, the graduate of Christchurch College of Computing is now studying for his Information and Computer Technology degree at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.
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Father Eric congratulates Apperley on his gold medal in figure skating during the 3rd Special Olympics Nippon (Japan) National Winter Games in Nagano from 27 to 29 February, 2004. Since the event also served as the Preliminary Games for the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games, participants in the Preliminary Games included 10 visiting nations: Austria, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Korea, Macau, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Singapore and Slovenia. |
“I want to show that people with cognitive disabilities are just as capable of performing at higher levels as the majority of mainstream athletes,” said Apperley.
In the months leading up to the 2005 Winter Games, Apperley trained rigorously with his coach Marina Tsevina, and his hard work paid off with the skate of his life.
Apperley and his father left for Japan in early February and spent two weeks training while living with a host family in Hara Village. Tsevina joined them as the athletes streamed into Nagano to begin competition.
Apperley had prior success in the Land of the Rising Sun; he skated to a gold medal in figure skating during the 3rd Special Olympics Nippon (Japan) National Winter Games in Nagano from 27 to 29 February, 2004.
He is a member of the Centaurus Ice Skating Club, a leading club in New Zealand, having won the inter club trophies at both the South Island and National championships every year since 2001.
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