While Thomas Chin (12MY) is a well known member of the RHS whanau, largely due to his proud participation in Kapahaka, few of his classmates are aware of his true passion, the sport of Boccia.

Having played this sport for the last ten years, Thomas has amassed a formidable collection of awards. During his time at primary school, he won the junior champs four years in a row, before progressing to gain success in the South Island, North Island and National championships. In 2016, he even managed to win at the Halberg Disability Games. It is through his involvement in the Halberg Foundation however, that he feels the greatest satisfaction.

In 2016, Thomas was selected to be one of ten people from around the country to become a member of the Halberg Youth Council, as a National Ambassador for Disabled Sport. In this capacity, he and his team use their shared experiences to help break down the barriers faced by disabled youth in sport. This role entails being flown to Auckland for two meetings per year, as well as numerous opportunities to participate in media interviews and promotional activities. 

One of the additional highlights, is the chance to attend the Halberg Awards. Plus, this June, he has also been invited to dine with the Governor General. However, for Thomas, these things are just trimmings. His favourite part is in helping disabled youth engage with the community, so that they too can follow their dreams.

As the current National Player of 2016, and the top ranked player in the country for BC5, Thomas’ own Boccia dream looks promising. At present, he is preparing for his first international competition as a member of the New Zealand Team, but this is only the beginning. His future goals include the Australian National Championships and the Asia/Oceania Champs, before he embarks on the World Games in 2019, and hopefully the Para Olympics in Tokyo 2020.

We feel extremely blessed to have someone such as Thomas in the RHS Whanau, and we wish him masses of success in his future endeavours.