Kia ora, welcome Thomas Coysh!

BSNZ are pleased to announce that the Board of Directors (BOD) have appointed Thomas Coysh as a co-opted board member. The BOD recognised his passion for sport for both physical and mental well being, and acknowledged that his lived experience of vision loss is vital for our work, providing valuable insights for our organisation. 
 

"My name is Thomas, I’m 24 and I was born with retinitis pigmentosa. I have always been an avid sportsman, so when my vision deteriorated in high school the thing that hit me the hardest was that I thought I had to cease my involvement in sports. I kept active but I was always longing for something more fulfilling, until I was introduced to Blind Sport NZ and the wonderful world of adaptive sports. From there I discovered and fell in love with adaptive skiing, where I am now pursuing a pathway to high-performance downhill racing, recently being selected onto the Paralympics Para-Sport collective. Notable achievements include volunteering as crew for the Spirit of Adventure, becoming the first blind person to complete a 21 day Outward Bound course, and spending a month sailing across the Atlantic Ocean.

The main reason that I joined the board is that I want everyone to be able to experience at least the same level of fulfilment through sport that I have, if not more. My goal is for sport to be equitable, so that anyone can participate irrespective of age, vision, or physical ability."

Get to know a little more about Thomas from a BSNZ 2021 Spotlight here, and follow his journey with Para-alpine Skiing 'The blind skiwi' facebook page here

100 x 10K Step Club

For the past 115days , without fail, Blind Sport NZ General Manager, Helen has been clocking up a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. Some days she has smashed the daily step goal and other days it has been a stretch.  As this newsletter is circulated, Helen keeps adding additional days to the tally!

Helen started with a goal of 100 consecutive days doing 10,000 steps each day to improve her fitness. The maths on that is at least 1,000,000 steps. She didn’t tell anyone about her goal at first while she got her own head around it and settled into a routine pounding the pavement. As the days passed and she experienced the inherent physical and mental benefit of moving she shared it with others. These are the people she refers to now as her ‘Cheerleaders’. She is extremely grateful to have had them ‘every step of the way’ so to speak.  

Helen wanted to share her achievement to inspire others who might be thinking of setting a sport goal and may be looking for that gentle nudge to do it. For Helen, it started with the first step…and helped to have good footwear, a device to track the steps, some courage and determination.  In her mind from time to time was a quote about setting goals…” Set high goals, even if they sound crazy – at least if you don’t reach them, you will still have achieved something great”.

"Blind Tandem Cyclist Hannah Pascoe's Epic 19-Day Journey Across Aotearoa: Chasing Dreams and Raising $28,500"

As you may or may not be aware, Hannah Pascoe a blind tandem cyclist from Invercargill set herself the incredible challenge last year of cycling the length of Aotearoa in just 19 days. She did this in the hopes of raising money for future athletes and give back, encouraging others to start ‘chasing dreams’ as she did on her pursuit to get to the Paralympics.

Hannah has made a statement below we would love to share, along with a fantastic article from Women’s weekly (a PDF) and an audio interview of the article itself from the team at Blind Low Vision.

Thank you for all your support to get our amazing team from the top to bottom of Aotearoa.  It was a huge journey for us all and I do look forward to sharing our mammoth journey.  What I can share at the moment is thanks to so many near and wide that together we raised $28,500 toward Chasing dreams for Blind athletes.  My magic number is $100,000 so I’ll keep quietly chipping away.  In the meantime I cannot thank you enough for all of your support in getting us to this point.  I’m so grateful and excited for what this means for our blind community.

Lastly please see attached an mp3 recorded article via Blind low vision and a PDF article taken from the women’s weekly written by Ruth Jillings.  A few examples and highlights of our ride downward.  We are also thankful to all of our media outlets including Radio New Zealand, More FM, Southland times, Channel 1 Breakfast, the Otago daily times and NZ Me for following and helping us to get the word out during our 19 days.

Another thanks to Kara for keeping the Chasing dreams page constantly updated throughout those weeks to and the outstanding piloting.  As well as Janet, Aunty Marcia, Aunty Ora and Uncle Nobs for everything.

Spotlight: A Journey of Three Blind Athletes Conquering the Auckland Marathon

In a world where barriers often shape our perceptions, the stories of three extraordinary young men—Ethan, Kyren, and Roman from BLENNZ—offer a poignant reminder that true limitations exist only within the confines of our minds. This interview explores their preparation, experiences, and reflections on participating in the Auckland marathon last year alongside Achilles.

Preparation and Training

Ethan with his arm raised and cheering in a yellow Achilles shirt crossing the finish line. Time shows 2.32.20

Ethan initiated the conversation, detailing his training routine—30 minutes of cardio in the morning, followed by strength training in the afternoon. Reflecting on the challenge, Ethan said, "I felt I was challenged, but it was a good challenge - I like them, otherwise life would be boring."

Kyren, an experienced tandem cyclist and on the para pathway, embraced a different approach, relying on cycling training to bolster endurance. Reflecting on the marathon, Kyren shared, "When I got to the marathon, it was like the excitement built on the day, and when I got to it and completed it, I felt pretty good."

Roman, initially lured into complacency during school holidays in his preparation, found motivation and discipline under the guidance of Stuart, a residential youth worker and Roman’s running partner and guide. Roman admitted, "I lost my training pattern from the school holidays and became too comfortable, I then got sick and that made me doubt myself a little bit – my family said I could pull out if I needed but I knew I didn’t want to let myself and the team down”

Stuart, a pivotal figure in getting the team together for the day, shared insights into his regimen—gym sessions three times a week, swimming twice a week, and long runs on weekends to familiarize himself with the pacing and distance. Stuart reflected, "It was an amazing experience, and just like these guys, I was super nervous in the morning - couldn’t even eat breakfast, but then we hit the ferry wharf and I was like yes! I’m excited."

Achilles Connection and Support

The group received support within Achilles, a community that empowers athletes with disabilities. Roman highlighted the significance of training alongside Achilles members, emphasizing the inspiration derived from the Auckland Chapter with characters like Peter Loft and Warren Payne. Roman stated, "I trained with Stuart in Cornwall Park and Auckland Centre Domain with Achilles and got tips from other people running," remarked Roman. “I think it was just a really good experience with Achilles, a good organization." Stuart echoed the sentiment, “It was a good opportunity to run alongside them and train alongside them. I feel like we came away running with Achilles quite inspired as well”

Stuart and Roman strengthened their connection formed during their runs. Stuart added "Yeah, and through comms with each one, I’ve found we really get in tune with each other. He (Roman) will sometimes spot things before me! I’ll still keep up and say there is a speed bump, and he’d be like, yeah, I know!’" Their guiding relationship was a blend of teamwork, communication, and mutual inspiration, showcasing the power of collaboration in overcoming challenges.

The Marathon Experience

As the interview shifted to the marathon itself, emotions ran high. Ethan, admitting nervousness as a first-time marathoner, expressed excitement at the prospect of pushing personal limits. Ethan said, "I was also VERY excited because of those reasons, that I’d never done pro-sport before, so it was an amazing taster as to what it is."

Guide Stuart Sloman left and Roman to the right shirtless with Achilles top tucked into running shorts crossing the finish line and smiling.

Roman overcame doubts and illness, ultimately finding the marathon a profoundly rewarding journey. Roman recalled, "The night before the marathon probably is the worst because you wanna get good rest, and then if you don’t, it’s not good. And then the marathon day you get a boost; you get a massive natural high."

Marathon Times and Words of Wisdom

The athletes shared advice for those contemplating a marathon, emphasizing the importance of mental fortitude, training, and the simple act of putting one's mind to the challenge. Roman's bold declaration, "If three blind students can do it, anyone can," serves as a powerful testament and adds, "If you think about doing a marathon, then do a marathon. If you are thinking about it, I reckon you really wanna do it, but you just don’t know how to do it."

Reflecting on their marathon times:

• Ethan completed the 11km marathon in an impressive 2 hours and 10 minutes.

• Kyren achieved a remarkable time of 1 hour and 52 minutes for the 11km marathon.

• Roman conquered the 21km marathon in 2 hours and 21 minutes.

Looking ahead, Roman expressed a desire to tackle a 42km marathon and venture into cycling and triathlons. "I definitely do another 10km next year because those to me are very comfortable for me and trying to smash my time with the Wellington marathon. I really want to do a 42km."

The Ripple Effect

Beyond personal achievements, the impact of their journey resonates within the BLENNZ community. Teachers and students alike found inspiration in their accomplishments, fostering a ripple effect within the school with students and teachers alike. Heather, acting as the logistics person on the day, reflected on the experience, "It was busy but elated about it all. There was also extra stuff during the race that happened along the way that was special."

Kyren left and Achilles guide Lars Madsen right, both wearing yellow Achilles tops crossing the finish line. They are holding hands high in the air in celebration and Kyren has his other arm up high too with a smile.

Pasifika drums accompanied a part of their journey, echoing the collective rhythm of resilience and power, these young men are beginning to break down barriers, and setting an example for those around them.

Their story urges everyone to break free from self-imposed limitations and embark on their own journeys. The marathon isn’t just a physical feat but a mental one, proving that with determination, support, and a strong sense of purpose, anyone can cross the finish line. Kyren added, "Massive shoutout to the staff of BLENNZ, especially Stuart for organizing the opportunity. Thank you for organizing this really fun event; I’m definitely doing it again. Bring it on."

Feeling inspired? Share the journey of these incredible athletes and spread the message of breaking boundaries, or get in touch with us if you want to be involved with a local chapter of Achilles New Zealand.