Dunedin man Carlos Biggemann was ''speechless'' when his father told him he had won a New Zealand Down Syndrome Association national achievement award for his accomplishments in swimming and photography. Mr Biggemann was one of three young people to be presented with an award at an event hosted in Wellington at Government House by Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae last Thursday.
Born in Bolivia, Mr Biggemann shifted to New Zealand with his family in 2006.
Since then, he has excelled at swimming, winning three medals - a bronze, silver and gold - at the Downs Syndrome International Swimming Championships in Taipei in 2010, while a pupil at Bayfield High School.
He has also developed a passion for photography and completed a level four certificate in digital photography at Aoraki Polytechnic last year.
This passion for photography gave him media attention in Bolivia when he opened an exhibition of his work entitled ''New Zealand Magic'' and 23 of 50 pictures were sold within two hours of its opening. The story was then picked up by two local newspapers and he was interviewed on CNN.
Mr Biggemann said he was shocked when his father informed him he had won the national award.
''I was speechless, I didn't know how to react.''
He said he was very proud of his achievements and planned to continue taking photos and swimming.
He had now also set his sights on Hollywood and wanted to go to a university in Los Angeles and study special
Born in Bolivia, Mr Biggemann shifted to New Zealand with his family in 2006.
Since then, he has excelled at swimming, winning three medals - a bronze, silver and gold - at the Downs Syndrome International Swimming Championships in Taipei in 2010, while a pupil at Bayfield High School.
He has also developed a passion for photography and completed a level four certificate in digital photography at Aoraki Polytechnic last year.
This passion for photography gave him media attention in Bolivia when he opened an exhibition of his work entitled ''New Zealand Magic'' and 23 of 50 pictures were sold within two hours of its opening. The story was then picked up by two local newspapers and he was interviewed on CNN.
Mr Biggemann said he was shocked when his father informed him he had won the national award.
''I was speechless, I didn't know how to react.''
He said he was very proud of his achievements and planned to continue taking photos and swimming.
He had now also set his sights on Hollywood and wanted to go to a university in Los Angeles and study special
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