Background
_Neelusha Memon, a former Dunedinite has always been keen on outdoor pursuits. In the year 2000, as a 16 year old school girl, she decided to attend the New Zealand Snowboarders Academy an intensive snowboarding course in Wanaka. Shortly after returning home from this trip Neelu started presenting with flu-like symptoms. She was taken to the hospital where she unexpectedly fell into a coma.
What had happened? Neelusha had contracted an illness called Acute Disemminated Encephlomyelitis (ADEM) This post-viral autoimmune response resulted in her lapsing into a coma for 4 months, followed by an horrific brain injury. After undergoing intensive rehabilitation for a year at Burwood Brain injury Rehab Services, most of her faculties had returned apart from her sight (30% vision), and balance. These are now disabilities she lives with on an everyday basis.
However Neelu’s love for the outdoors is still strong and with the support of other people, she has not had to give up her adventure sport dreams. During the 11 years of living with a disability, Neelu has cycled in the Paracycling World Champs in Bordeaux on a tandem cycle, climbed Mount Aspiring, and heliskied the Tasman Glacier. She does not see these events as limiting factors and instead feels they provide her with inspiration to overcome these socially perceived barriers.
What had happened? Neelusha had contracted an illness called Acute Disemminated Encephlomyelitis (ADEM) This post-viral autoimmune response resulted in her lapsing into a coma for 4 months, followed by an horrific brain injury. After undergoing intensive rehabilitation for a year at Burwood Brain injury Rehab Services, most of her faculties had returned apart from her sight (30% vision), and balance. These are now disabilities she lives with on an everyday basis.
However Neelu’s love for the outdoors is still strong and with the support of other people, she has not had to give up her adventure sport dreams. During the 11 years of living with a disability, Neelu has cycled in the Paracycling World Champs in Bordeaux on a tandem cycle, climbed Mount Aspiring, and heliskied the Tasman Glacier. She does not see these events as limiting factors and instead feels they provide her with inspiration to overcome these socially perceived barriers.
