“Being ok with what my body is, accepting this is me.” Cameron Leslie's journey to his 4th Paralympics.
“Being ok with what my body is, accepting this is me.”
Para swimming champion & Wheel Black, Cameron Leslie’s journey from Whangārei’s local pools getting some filthy looks, to triumph on the world stage is an inspiration. The quadruple amputee, is heading to his 4th Paralympics or the ‘big dance’ as he calls it. From being soundly beaten and on the verge of quitting, to wanting to win at all costs, Cameron admits the Paris Paralympics will look very different. The now father of 3 now wants to show his kids that Dad can do some cool stuff. Paving the way for disabled swimmers and shining a light on the sport, Cameron says back when he first hit the international stage there was no kaumātua or old dogs to guide the up and comers. Swimming for the 30 year old offers a sense of freedom, while out of water it’s clunky. Even now, he admits to fighting a constant mental battle with body image. However he knows he is part of the change raising the profile of disabled athletes, that come August, will see the Paralympics shown on primetime tv.
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Motocross World Champion Courtney Duncan on winning a fourth title, overcoming setbacks & the transformation of her sport.
Motocross World Champion, Courtney Duncan has done what no other female kiwi rider has done, win a World Championship title multiple times. Being on top of the podium, four times in five years, you’d think the 28 year old from Otago, would be able to kick back a bit.
But from the outset this trailblazer has been determined, setting her sights higher each year and not taking anything for granted after an injury setback. There’s more to come in her impressive career, as she changes teams and location for 2024, embarking on her goal of winning a fifth world title.
She talks about the transformation of motocross, where once there were hardly any girls, now seeing so many, brings a smile to Courtney's face.
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Silver Fern Karin Burger on moving countries, appreciating the grind & why she hates arrogance
"You made it impossible not to pick you". Those were the words Dame Noeline Taurua said to Karin Burger upon selection to the Netball's Silver Ferns. Karin's journey here began when she moved to New Zealand as an 18 year old on a gap year from South Africa. Now the netball star has clocked up 50 tests for the Ferns & turned 30. Her dream to play for the Silver Ferns took years of hard work and grind taking on jobs while playing and studying.
Painfully shy, Karin did not say a word when she first started playing, learning to speak English as a second language. But she found a strong support group with her local netball club and her confidence grew. Karin shines a light on how much team culture has to play in a team's success, why pride is different from arrogance and what she's learnt from Dame Noeline Taurua.
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Football Ferns Defender Claudia Bunge on the importance of culture, that controversial kiss and sexism in women’s football, plus the huge impact of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on the next generation.
Now we’ve had a chance to reflect on the history making magic of Football Ferns and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, I chat to Football Ferns star defender Claudia Bunge now playing for HB Koge in Demark. She reveals how Auckland's traffic nearly unravelled their first game against Norway at a sold out Eden Park and how she hopes the Ferns have inspired kiwi kids to play football.
On the issue of that controversial kiss on Spanish football player Jenni Hermoso, Bunge says sexism is a massive issue in women's football.
“It was awful thing what Jenni went through. It was on the most public platform there could be so it's been good to see teams and players standing with her."
23 year old Bunge says she has learnt first-hand the power of team culture of every athlete feeling valued when she played for the Melbourne Victory.
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Football Ferns Goalkeeper Vic Esson always felt she wasn’t quite finished playing for New Zealand after dropping out of the squad at 19. Her amazing story is a lesson in peserverance.
“I’ve never been the most talented athlete or most athletic football player, the thing I can do is work hard.” With the biggest women’s sporting event in the world here in New Zealand, the FIFA World Cup, we catch up with Football Ferns Goalkeeper Vic Esson. Her story is remarkable. After playing with the U17 & U20 squad she dropped out of the High Performance programme, instead taking up a US sports scholarship, before working fulltime, & playing with a men’s club team. Finally at the age of 27 years, Vic turned professional at a time when many are moving on from elite sport. Vic’s dream of playing with the Football Ferns again came true when she was named in the team from Scotland where she’s playing with the Rangers. Vic says it’s hard for the Ferns to comprehend the excitement of a home World Cup & is excited about inspiring the next generation.
Join Wendy Petrie as she interviews elite athletes from New Zealand, finding out what makes them tick, how they overcome failures and go on to achieve amazing things on the world stage. We learn from the stories, struggles and successes of these great guests and how we can apply their lessons to our own lives.
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