Jane Stevens: NZ Winter Paralympics Chef de Mission ahead of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games

The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games are set to start later this week.

The event will be held across three clusters in Milan, Cortina D'Ampezzo and Val di Fiemme.

NZ Winter Paralympics Chef de Mission Jane Stevens joined Piney ahead of the event.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first Paralympic Winter Games,
and the twenty twenty six event is going to bring
together around six hundred athletes competing in seventy nine medal
events across six disciplines starting at the back end of
this week. Now. New Zealand has a rich and proud
history at the Paralympic Winter Games, thirty five medals, seventeen

(00:34):
of those gold since first contesting the event in nineteen eighty.
Last time in Beijing, the team secured four medals, a gold,
of silver and two bronze, and there are two highly
accredential athletes looking to add to that total in Milanaquartina.
They are, in fact two of New Zealand's most decorated Paralympians.
We spoke to them both over the weekend, actually on weekend.

(00:55):
Sport defending men's downhill sitting champion Corey Peters attending his
fourth Games looking to win his fifth medal, and fellow
skier Adam Hall going in search of his sixth Paralympic
medal at what will be his record equalling sixth Paralympic Games.
In fact, he will be the very first New Zealander
to go to six Paralympic Winter Games. Jane Stevens is

(01:19):
the chef the mission of the New Zealand team. Jane,
thanks for joining us just before you head away. How
optimistic do you feel that Corey and Adam will add
to their own but also to New Zealand's Paralympic legacies.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
Well, it's actually a real hona to be heading into
these games with these two athletes. They, as you say,
are highly decorated in I'm still operating at the top
of their game. So obviously that's what we're going there
to target. That's what the boys will be definitely saying
they're going to target is more medals and showing their

(01:54):
form coming into the coming into these games, so you
know they are going to be very, very competitive.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
They've been around for a while, a very long while
as mentioned, and have won multiple medals each keeps them
so competitive at the top level.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
I'd have to say there's a pretty good structure and
that they train under with really good tight teams working
with them, and I'd have to say it's their passion
and drive. They drive their programs. They're very detail orientators
and honestly that these boys You've never seen harder workers

(02:32):
in your life. And they absolutely love what they do,
which is a huge thing obviously as well to be
getting out there day and day out and working as
hard as they do.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
Are they inspiring the next generation? Jane? Because they can't
go on forever? Can they? These two? I'm sure they
go on for as long as they can, but you know,
just the two of them and the team. Is there
a new wave of winter Paralympians coming through?

Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yes, we do, and we've got we have young young
skiers coming through and snowboarders as well, which is really
encouraging in a snow event. So they one do, you know,
show these young guys the way, and often they're training
with them, you know, in their home environments, and you

(03:20):
know they're there are a legacy to be held for sure,
and these these younger guys do definitely look up for
them and and they're lucky to have them around. It
does it definitely helps.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
How different are the journeys of Paralympians compared to other
Olympic athletes?

Speaker 3 (03:37):
Oh, listen, I don't think that different. They you know,
everybody is out there working as hard as they can,
whether they're an able bodied or paralympians. Our guys would
tend to probably come into the sport and a lot
of times quite a bit later, whether it's through an
a quiet injury or whatever. And as we've just seen
from our counterparts in the Olympics, you know there's a

(03:58):
lot of young guys you know that are competing. So
but you know that's nothing. You know, you can't stop.
The hard work have to be put in, and you
know every Olympian or Paralympian is doing exactly that.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
I think there's sometimes a risk, isn't there that the
Paralympics get treated as a nice story rather than elite sport.
But I'm almost certain that you can confirm that these
are elite sports people, aren't.

Speaker 3 (04:27):
They These guys and girls that are out there competing. Honestly,
they're competing against the best in the world. They're competing
in the best systems in the world. Is no stone
is left unturned and you're certainly not going to make
it to that start line unless you're one of the
very best in the world. And our guys, as we said,

(04:49):
we have an incredibly proud heritage through the years of
Paralympians that have all come through a pathway and worked,
worked hard and achieved the you know, the rewards that
they should.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
One thing that was obvious during the Winter Olympics was
the camaraderie between the competitors. Yes, they're competing against one another,
but the way they congratulated one another after their events
was quite well, quite unusual. I thought. It is the
same true of the of the Winter Paralympics.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
And these guys are they're all they know each other
pretty well. They're on the World Cup circuit with each
other constantly, and everybody likes to see a great performance,
and everybody appreciates an amazing performance. So you're learned to
see the same thing with our guys at the bottom
end and particularly you know, the ceremonies and around the traps.
It's one very good camaraderie.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
Have you got your warm jacket packed? Because it looked
quite cold over there.

Speaker 3 (05:52):
Well, it's funny with us, We never know we could
get a mix with the Paralympics because we are supposedly
coming into spring. But yes, yes there has been there's
been a lot of snow. As you probably would have
seen in Europe and we're prepared for all eventualysies.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Good to hear and without wanting to put too much
expectation on these two, what would success look like over
the over the duration of Malane Courteena's Winter Paralympics for
New Zealand.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
Well, obviously, you know we are going there to the
guys are going there to do their very best and
obviously to look at at med Loan. You know, if
they come away having felt that they've done everything, that
they've had the very best run that they could have
had on the day, that everything went to plan and
that they're helping happy and healthy, you know that to win.

(06:47):
But make no bones about it, we are definitely looking
at trying to achieve you know, Meddle positions.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
All right, hey, Jane, all the very best as you
are as you oversee our two man team, Corey Peters
and Adam Hall. Look forward to seeing how they go
at the upcoming Winter Paris Olympics. Thanks indeed, that's Jane
Stevens Shift, a mission of the New Zealand team.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
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