Tupou Neiufi's journey with swimming began around the age of eight years old, when she learnt to swim to assist her rehabilitation after being hit by a speeding car as a child. Neiufi instantly fell in love with the water, as she felt that she could move freely without worrying about injuring herself.

At the age of 10, Neiufi began swimming competitively with Mangere Swim Club. She continued to developed over the coming years, being identified by Paralympic New Zealand as part of the Para Swimming Talent Identification programme and selected by High Performance Sport New Zealand to their ‘Pathway to Podium’ programme soon after. During this time, she transferred to Howick Pakuranga where she formed a bond with coach Sheldon Kemp.

2016 was a big year for the 15-year-old, making her first international team when selected for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Neiufi, initially a reserve for the team, Tupou, was a late call up to the Games after a fellow team member had to withdraw due to illness and injury. Making the most of the opportunity to perform on the world's biggest stage, Neiufi made the final of the S9 100m Freestyle where she finished seventh.

Neiufi made her Commonwealth Games and Aquablack debut at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, placing sixth in the S9 100m backstroke.

Ahead of competing at her first Para Swimming World Championships, Neiufi was re-classified to S8/SB8/SM8.

2019 wound up being a huge year in development for the teenager, breaking the world record in the S8 50m backstroke and winning her first major international medal when she claimed silver in the S8 100m backstroke at the Para Swimming World Championships in London.

In the lead-up to Tokyo, Neiufi followed her coach Sheldon Camp to Pukekohe Swimming Club in mid-2020.

Neiufi competed at her second Paralympic Games at Tokyo 2020, capturing New Zealand's first gold medal of the Games when she won gold in the S8 100m backstroke. She also came fifth in the S8 50m freestyle, capping off her most successful international campaign.

A year later, Neiufi returned to the international stage to compete at her second Commonwealth Games. She added to her impressive CV in Birmingham, earning the silver medal in the S8 100m backstroke.

At the 2023 Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester, Neiufi took bronze in the S8 100m backstroke amongst a world class field. A seventh place finish in the S8 50m freestyle rounded out her second world championships.

At just 23 years old, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games marked Neiufi's third Games campaign. In Paris, Neiufi placed ninth in the S8 100m backstroke, missing out on the final by the slimmest of margins. She also placed tenth in the S8 50m freestyle.

Following the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Neiufi shifted to Mt Eden Swimming.

Neiufi lives by the motto “believe in yourself”, which highlights the importance of self-belief and, most importantly, being authentically and unapologetically you.

Interestingly, Neiufi doesn’t particularly like the smell of chlorine or getting wet, perhaps one of the many reasons for her speed each time she enters the water.

💥 Selected to third Paralympic Games

At just 23 years old, Paris 2024 marked Neiufi's third Paralympic Games, after competing at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

🥇 Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion - S8 100m backstroke

Competing at her second Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Neiufi captured gold in the S8 100m backstroke. At the same Games, she placed seventh in the S8 50m freestyle.

🥈 Two-time Para Swimming World Championships medallist

Neiufi has won two medals at the Para Swimming World Championships, an impressive feat given she has only been to two World Championships so far in her career. After collecting the silver medal in the S8 100m backstroke at the 2019 Para Swimming World Championships in London, Neiufi took bronze in the same event at the 2023 edition of the championships in Manchester.

🥈 Commonwealth Games silver medallist - S8 100m backstroke

Neiufi won silver in the S8 100m backstroke at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Four years earlier, Neiufi made her Aquablack debut at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast where she placed sixth in the S9 100m backstroke.

💥 Breaks world record - S8 50m backstroke

In 2019, Neiufi broke the world record in the S8 50m backstroke, clocking a time of 35.33.

💥 International debut at Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

Only a couple months after her 15th birthday, Neiufi made her international debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. On debut, she made the final of the S9 100m freestyle, placing seventh.