Frederick George (Fred) Creba (1945–2013) was a New Zealand Paralympic sportsperson. In the 1976 Summer Paralympics he competed in athletics and weightlifting, winning a bronze medal in the Weightlifting in men's light heavy weight, despite being from a town of only 3 thousand.

Fred Creba
Personal information
Full nameFrederick George Creba[1]
NationalityNew Zealander
Born1945 (1945)
Waimate, New Zealand
Died27 October 2013(2013-10-27) (aged 67–68)
Waimate, New Zealand
Sport
SportAthletics
Weightlifting
Medal record
Men's weightlifting
Representing  New Zealand
Paralympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1976 Toronto Light heavyweight

Creba died in 2013 when he was 68 years old.[2] In 1975, his sporting performances, including setting a world record in weightlifting, earned him the title of South Canterbury Sportsperson of the Year, the first disabled person to do so.[2]

Fred Creba trained in the Toc - H gym which in reality was just a set of equipment in a small garage. He would practice discus throw by going out with his father and sometimes his nephew and take one throw his father would then go and retrieve and start over. Freddy's wit and toughness enabled him to go from a tiny town in the middle of nowhere to a Paralympic bronze medal and for that he has become a role model to me and for many others inspiring the average person to never give up and to not let your disables define you.

References

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  1. ^ "Death Notice Summaries Available for Listings at a Memory Tree".
  2. ^ a b "A wheelchair never stopped Freda Creba". 31 March 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
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