NZSkier.com - Magazine, Video, Web

15th April 2010

Its with huge sadness we have to report that Gayle Hall died in a car crash yesterday near her home in Dunedin.

She was returning home from the airport after dropping off her son Adam, who was flying to Wellington for a television interview, when her car left the road, she died at the scene.

On behalf of all of us at NZ Skier i want to express our deepest sympathies to Adam, Lindsay and Mikaeyla at this sad time.

Gayle Hall was part of the snow sports community, not only as a mother of a disabled child who learned to ski and snowboard and then became a world class athlete, but also as a long time serving member of the Disabled Snowsports NZ board, and of the Disabled Snowsports Otago branch.  Gayle contributed hugely over a number of years to the grassroots of disabled snow sports, as a camp mum, and in her role in governance at a national level.

We pass along the following words of Heather Clay, Chairperson of Disabled Snowsports New Zealand:

The loss of Gayle is sudden, tragic and to many of us still unbelievable.  Our heartfelt condolences go out to Gayles  son Adam, her husband, Lindsay, and her daughter Mikaeyla.

I was fortunate enough to be able to share with Adams family both the tension and ultimately the joy of Adams Gold medal-winning performance in Whistler last month, the time when this family won the ultimate reward and celebrated in it together.  Thank you for sharing this with us.

Gayle was someone you couldnt miss.  She was obviously Adams greatest supporter and fan as well as a tremendous wife and mother to her children.  Her family was so intact given the stressors of disability and the success they have made of this is amazing.  Gayle and the family planned to continue this to the next Paralympics.

Gayle shared her and Adams family journey with all of us in DSNZ and the Adaptive SSNZ community. Gayle and her family have modelled to us whats possible with determination, unending efforts and enjoyment of success and reward.

I have known Gayle personally over the last six years.  I know her involvement in snow sports predates this by many years.  Her support of snow sports for the disabled, especially at the grass roots level, has been well appreciated and has served as an inspiration to other parents and families who live with disability.  She was instrumental in showing us how to make the best of a difficult situation.

Gayle was so fun loving she didnt need a snow slope to get her thrills, but she fully appreciated those who did. I know her journey was hard at times both emotionally and financially.  Gayle and husband Lindsay have done so well to manage this while also raising a lovely daughter, managing a farm and a big health job all at once with a never-ending smile on her face.  Its that big loud smile that I will always remember, and the bubbly energy that went with it.

The tremendous loss that Gayles family and close friends are feeling is shared by the adaptive snow sports community throughout New Zealand.

Gayles love, her contributions, her energy, her positive nature and vibrancy will be missed but never forgotten.

With deepest sympathy,

Disabled Snowsports New Zealand Board
Adaptive Snowsports Steering Group
Snow Sports New Zealand Staff and Board