Paralympic Experience
- Paralympic debut (2020)
World Championship Experience
- Odense 2014 (eighth)
Bio:
A first generation Samoan-New Zealander and a talented rugby player, he headed to Otago in 2006 to study health sciences. But while playing rugby in 2007 a tackle went wrong and Lefono suffered a spinal cord injury that left him a C7 tetraplegic. Over the following two years of intensive rehabilitation his interest in physiotherapy only increased. Not content with simply being a trailblazer in physiotherapy, while studying Lefono also started to compete in wheelchair rugby internationally as a Wheel Black – just missing out on the 2016 Rio Paralympics. He’s continued to develop his game in the last five years and was rewarded with selection onto the New Zealand team for Tokyo 2020.
Favourite athlete: Michael Jones
iPhone or Android? iPhone
Twitter or Instagram? Instagram
Cats or dogs? Dogs
Last country visited: Japan
Favourite world landmark: Christ the Redeemer
Favourite cartoon character: Goku
Favourite superhero: Iron Man
Beach or mountains? Beach
Favourite Actor / Actress? None
Favourite all time movie: Avengers End Game
Favourite sporting team: All Blacks
Most used App: Instagram
Last app you downloaded: OCHA
Favourite video game: Witcher
Favourite snack: Dark chocolate
Highlight of your sporting career? Qualifying for Tokyo 2020
Favourite subject in school: Woodwork
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Be present and live in the moment
If you could have a chat with anyone, dead or alive, who would you select? My mother’s grandparents. I never got to meet them.