Peter Van Raalte

In 1980 I became a tetraplegic at the age of 16 as a result of a scrum colapse while playing for Tawa College.

I went back to school the following year and then went on to Victoria University in Wellington where I got a BS c. (Hons) in computer science. I have been in fulltime work since 1988. I was married until recently and had five stepchildren, four step
grandchildren and have my only son Matthew from that relationship.

I have played wheelchair rugby for the Wellington team but have retired due to wear and tear on my body. Highlights of my sporting life have been being in the Wellington Wheelchair Rugby team with many good friends and having many hard fought and challenging games sometimes sucessfully and sometimes not.

I have also had memorable success in winning the New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby Nationals with a Southern North Island Team and winning the Australian Low Point Nationals as an invitational player in the Canterbury Team. I have been privellaged to be in a number of Wheelblack development teams and other representative teams and travelled internationally playing wheelchair rugby.

Wheelchair rugby gave me the opportunity to travel, to learn and grow as a person, to set myself goals and achieve them and to meet some really talented players and support staff. The game of wheelchair rugby especially taught me the power of teamwork and that I could develop skills that I didn't evcen know I had the possibiulity
of developing.

I am very lucky to be supported by the Rugby Foundation and am very grateful
for the support they provide.

Peter sadly passed away on Aug 6, with his 15 year old son at his side.