Paralympics New Zealand hosted a three day Para Cycling Talent Identification Camp from 5 – 7 March as part of the Harvey Norman Para Sport National Development Programme for eight budding cyclists.
With less than 6 months to go until the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) continues to look towards the future identifying and supporting potential Paralympians.
It was the first taste of Para sport for many of the Para cyclists, providing a great opportunity to make their Para cycling debut on the boards of the Avantidrome velodrome. The group also took part in entry level road racing on day 1 followed by an extensive Para cycling education including a series of training, testing, classification and presentation sessions.
The camp was combined with the Parafed Waikato Activ8 Event in Hampton Downs, offering the Para cyclists early exposure to safe racing at an introductory level. A high point of the camp for the new riders was the opportunity to connect with more experienced Para cyclists such as World Champion tandem riders Emma Foy and Hannah van Kampen who also raced as part of the Hampton Downs event.
“We, as novice riders, definitely got to see what it is all about and to have it in conjunction with the Parafed Waikato Activ8 Event was even better. To get to ride with elite Para cyclists in both a time trial and a road race was superb. I look forward to implementing the various points of advice and suggestions into my training.” Winson has a double limb deficiency following an accident resulting in a double leg amputation” said Para cyclist Ian Winson.
The camp included a series of development workshops focused on improving understanding of PNZ, Paralympic pathways and support in New Zealand, as well as the International Paralympic Movement. Paralympian Emma Foy and Para cyclists Eltje Malzbender and Anna Taylor shared stories of their Para sport journeys, which was a major highlight of the weekend for the new Para cyclists.
For more information, go to https://paralympics.org.nz
