Announced at the recent New Zealand Masters Games (NZMG) 2026 launch, we are proud to support Motor Neurone Disease NZ as our charity partner for next year’s event.
Games participants are encouraged to make a donation when they register for the games or directly to the charity. Games Manager Vicki Kestila has been heartened by the generous response from those who have registered already. “Registrations have only been open since 10 September and already the total donated is on the rise!”
The impact of motor neurone disease (MND) can be life-limiting but this has never stopped Wayne Richards from tackling life head on – just like he did when he was on the rugby field in his younger years.
A passionate sports enthusiast, Wayne is one of many New Zealanders living with MND. While his own sporting days have passed, he was an avid supporter of his sons’ sporting pursuits and is now is a self-confessed ‘armchair critic’. His message is simple and applicable to sporting life: ‘tough days don’t take away who you are’.
Diagnosed with MND at 70, Wayne shares how family, humour, and positivity help him live fully in the present. “Motor neurone disease is part of my life,” he says, “but it doesn’t define me.”
Born and raised in Christchurch, Wayne spent decades working in the printing industry, beginning as a teenage apprentice and eventually becoming an expert in electronics. But it was people—not machines—that always mattered most.
“My family and friends have always come first,” he says. “I’ve got five kids, and they filled big chunks of my life. I loved entertaining and doing things with them.”
Sport was another passion. Wayne describes himself as a “typical Kiwi boy” who loved rugby and snooker and later supported his sons in their own sporting pursuits—one even represented New Zealand in futsal. “I’m an armchair critic now,” he jokes, “but back in the day, I tackled the biggest guys on the field and bowled them over.”
Wayne was 70 when he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. He had small signs—a limp, trouble walking, and one oddly symbolic moment: “I used to joke around with my partner, Sharon, while making the bed, jumping on it like a gymnast. One day, I realised my feet wouldn’t leave the floor.”
His GP noticed something off in his gait and referred him to a neurologist. “They did all these electrical tests on my arms and legs, and finally the neurologist said: ‘You’ve got motor neurone disease.’ I didn’t even know what it was. I felt numb.”
Sharon organised a family meeting. “We stood in the middle of the room, hugged, and cried like babies.”
Choosing to live, not just cope
“I’m living the best life I can. And I meet other people with MND through the support group here in Christchurch. We’re like a family of strangers.”
Wayne is now 74. Mobility is his biggest challenge. “I’m a furniture hopper around the house,” he laughs, “but I use a power wheelchair when I’m out.” He sold his red BMW to buy a van that can carry the chair. “That’s how you adapt,” he says simply.
“One thing about MND,” Wayne says, “you learn to laugh at yourself. Otherwise, you’d cry. You’ve got to keep a sense of humour. It’s essential.”
The power of perspective
Wayne is realistic about the challenges of MND but refuses to let them define him. “Sure, there are tough days. Days when you’re frustrated or sore or tired. But they’re just days. They don’t take away who you are.”
“I still go head-on at things, just like I did with the 6ft 6 prop I used to tackle on the rugby field. Head on. Otherwise, you die.”
Please click here if you would like to support MND.
You can register here for the 2026 New Zealand Master Games.
