By Gary Anderson

October 5 - Para-snowboarder Carl Murphy has been named as Snow Sports New Zealand Athlete of the YearPara-snowboarder Carl Murphy has been recognised for a great 18 months on the slopes by being named Snow Sports New Zealand 2013 Athlete of the Year at its annual awards night.

The man from Taranaki completed a double on the night by scooping the Adaptive Athlete of the Year award also, for his performances during the 2012 Southern Hemisphere Season, the 2012-2013 Northern Hemisphere season and the 2013 Southern Hemisphere season.

Murphy's recent run of good form, which earned him this latest accolade, began with double snowboard cross gold at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Alpine Skiing event at Landgraaf, the Netherlands, in November 2012.

He followed that up by taking top honours at the IPC Para-Snowboard World Cup in the Big White Ski Resort in Canada, in March this year before a bronze medal at the Paralympic Winter Games Test event in Sochi, also in March.

Cral Murphy will be looking to continue his good form into the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic GamesCarl Murphy will be looking to continue his good form into the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games


























The 34-year-old, who was born with only one-and-a-half legs, rides his board in a similar fashion to able-bodied athletes through the use of a custom designed carbon fibre prosthetic leg, and is expected to be a leading contender for medals at next year's Paralympics in Sochi, when the sport is due to make its debut in the Games.

Murphy, currently ranked number one in the world for snowboard cross by IPC Alpine Skiing became the first adaptive snowboarder to be named to the NZ Snowboard National Team in 2009 and has been a part of the squad ever since.

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