Paralympic star returns to the pool
There’s been little respite for New Zealand’s Paralympic heroes as they look to maintain the momentum from their record-breaking feats in Rio - and Sophie Pascoe wouldn’t have it any other way.
One month since returning from Brazil as New Zealand’s most decorated Paralympian, Pascoe has had little time to get back into normal life, let alone reflect on her amazing success, with fans, sponsors and media alike keen to catch up with the swimming sensation.
The 23-year-old even returned to the pool on Monday, showing the sort of dedication that took her to five medals at the Paralympics, including three golds, to extend her overall medal haul to 15.
Pascoe will eventually take a holiday and consider options to keep her occupied outside of swimming.
But she is passionate about promoting Para-Sport and is only happy to give back to those who supported her along the way.
‘‘I haven’t really had time to sort of reflect on what I’ve done over at the games yet,’’ Pascoe said.
‘‘Yeah I may be getting pulled in all sorts of directions at the moment but this is part of our role and this is the part that I do love. I have my pleasure standing up on the podium listening to the national anthem and now I can give it back to the rest of the country.’’
While Pascoe hasn’t ruled out competing at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, her next major goal is the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She is just easing into training at this stage but after scaling the heights that she did in Rio, the Christchurch-based athlete said it was like starting all over again.
‘‘I clocked up 1.5km on Monday morning and I was like ‘that’s enough’,’’ she laughed.
‘‘I’m sort of back at square-one, I’ve lost the majority of my fitness so it’s going to be hard to get back into it. But I still have that passion and that drive so that side of things is not going to be hard.’’
Fellow Paralympics swimming gold medallist Nikita Howarth has been busy with speaking engagements of her own but has steered well clear of the pool.
After becoming New Zealand’s youngest ever Paralympian in London 2012, the 17-year-old is now hoping to find a ‘‘normal job’’.
Howarth is a keen makeup artist but is keeping her options and will decide at the end of the year if she will continue with swimming.
‘‘That’s when the performance programme comes back out again and the I’ll decide from there whether I want to keep swimming or change sports,’’ Howarth said. ‘‘But at the moment I’m not really too sure. I just want to have a break and then I’ll decide.’’