August 30, 2024 • 5 mins
The 2024 Paralympic Games are officially underway – New Zealand sending a team of 25 athletes to compete.
Lesley Murdoch caught up with Paralympian Holly Robinson regarding the change in the Games since her debut in London in 2012, and how she plans on going about defending her gold medal.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's go over to Paris and to the athletes village
in fact and talk with one of our very high
profile famous Paralympians, Holly Robinson. She joins us it's her
fourth Olympics. How cool is that? Holly, Welcome into our
all sports breakfast here in christ Juche.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Thank you and thanks for having me. Yeah, I'm super
excited in being in Paris. Just got here today, so
hopefully be able to share a little bit with you guys.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Well, thank you, and look, this is your fourth Games.
You were there in London twenty twelve. How have you
seen the Paralympic movement change from twenty twelve to twenty
twenty four in Paris?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
So twenty twelve was my first Paralympic Games and it
was incredible.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I was very young at.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
The time, so naive to the world of sports and
what it took to sort of be an elite athlete
and be on the top of the podium. And I'm
at my fourth Games and it's been a number of years,
but I've seen a lot change which is really incredible.
There's a lot more people talking about the Paralympics, getting
behind the Paralympic movement and it's really special, special for
(01:04):
me growing up as a young girl missing a limb
and not really knowing much about the Paralympics. But now
we sort of get to share that with the world,
which is really exciting.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Oh and fantastic that you're able to be the best
that you can be as well with all of the
high performance resources that go in behind you.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Yeah. Absolutely, and we are very lucky.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
We have a great team behind us as athletes through
high performance sport and also our community. So it takes
like a lot of people to help us se get
to where we are and we're very grateful for that.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yeah, you had the gold medal from Tokyo in the
forty six javelin. Who is your competition?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, so I am the defending champion, which is really exciting,
but it also adds a little bit of extra pressure.
You know, everyone's out to beat me. I guess everyone's
out to be in that top spot, which is pretty crazy.
But I'm just so excited to be here. I can't
wait to compete.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
We have some really.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Great feel So I'm doing the javelin, but I'm also
doing the shot put, So first first Paralympics ever doing
two events, which is pretty cool, but you we've got
to defend that title and hopefully get a secondary medal
as well.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
But yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Some really great young athletes coming through, so it's definitely
going to be a great competition.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
When are you in action?
Speaker 3 (02:25):
So I'll be in action.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
On the fourth of September at around nine forty six
pm New Zealand time.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
That'll be my shot put and then my.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Javelin is on the seventh of September at around five
eighteen am, so that'll be a little bit of an
early one, but I'm sure lots of people be get
up to watch because.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
It's going to be quite a good, quite a good event.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Now, you've just been welcomed into the athletes village, haven't you.
You've had your yeah fuato and you've had your ponamu
presented to you. That used to have been very emotional.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah it was, And and when I think about it,
you know, I'm Nahu, I'm from down south and it's
been a journey that I've sort of just gone on
myself in terms of my Malori heritage and my fucker
pappa and so to be welcomed in such a way
given your ponamu and sharing that with your funo, your
(03:18):
team in the village here is really special. It also
connects you with home, so having that ponamu.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
With us here is really special for me.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
It signifies connection and it signifies the culture of our
team as well. So it was really special and definitely
a moment I won't forget.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Just going back to your javelin throw, what's the furthest
you've thrown?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
So my pebe is just under forty six meters, so
forty five seventy three Off the top of my head,
we tend to just listen to the first half of
that distance, so yeah, run forty five seventy three ish.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Wow, when you look at how it started and where
you are now, that is amazing.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Oh, I've come such a long way, So that's really
really cool, and I hope to portray a performance that
equals it, or if not, goes a little bit further there.
I am sort of in the later years of my
life as an athlete, so I would love to throw
throw a massive throw out there and hopefully get a
(04:21):
peb on the board that will put me in really
good standings. But also I'm just really looking forward to it,
getting amongst all the girls and having a great competition.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
And I mean you are You've hit Suji right, But
you're not very old, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Or not not quite yet. I'm twenty nine, not quite thirty.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Yet, that's important. How have you found Paris?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Well, I've only been here for a day, so I've
actually been in Montpellier in France at our pre camp.
So I decided, along with Mitch Joint, our sprinter, that
we would stay a little bit longer than the rest
of our track and field team.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
So we just got in here today. But so far,
well it's been raining all day, so not so good.
But the village is great.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I've just moved into my room with my roommate and
a Grimaldi and we're just sort of getting settled.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
I'm looking forward to looking at the village.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
And going to the training tracks and then hopefully the
stadium over the next few days as well.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Before I compete for more from News Talk sed B,
listen live on air or online, and
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio
Let's go over to Paris and to the athletes village
in fact and talk with one of our very high
profile famous Paralympians, Holly Robinson. She joins us it's her
fourth Olympics. How cool is that? Holly, Welcome into our
all sports breakfast here in christ Juche.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Thank you and thanks for having me. Yeah, I'm super
excited in being in Paris. Just got here today, so
hopefully be able to share a little bit with you guys.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Well, thank you, and look, this is your fourth Games.
You were there in London twenty twelve. How have you
seen the Paralympic movement change from twenty twelve to twenty
twenty four in Paris?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
So twenty twelve was my first Paralympic Games and it
was incredible.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I was very young at.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
The time, so naive to the world of sports and
what it took to sort of be an elite athlete
and be on the top of the podium. And I'm
at my fourth Games and it's been a number of years,
but I've seen a lot change which is really incredible.
There's a lot more people talking about the Paralympics, getting
behind the Paralympic movement and it's really special, special for
(01:04):
me growing up as a young girl missing a limb
and not really knowing much about the Paralympics. But now
we sort of get to share that with the world,
which is really exciting.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Oh and fantastic that you're able to be the best
that you can be as well with all of the
high performance resources that go in behind you.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Yeah. Absolutely, and we are very lucky.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
We have a great team behind us as athletes through
high performance sport and also our community. So it takes
like a lot of people to help us se get
to where we are and we're very grateful for that.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yeah, you had the gold medal from Tokyo in the
forty six javelin. Who is your competition?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, so I am the defending champion, which is really exciting,
but it also adds a little bit of extra pressure.
You know, everyone's out to beat me. I guess everyone's
out to be in that top spot, which is pretty crazy.
But I'm just so excited to be here. I can't
wait to compete.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
We have some really.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Great feel So I'm doing the javelin, but I'm also
doing the shot put, So first first Paralympics ever doing
two events, which is pretty cool, but you we've got
to defend that title and hopefully get a secondary medal
as well.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
But yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Some really great young athletes coming through, so it's definitely
going to be a great competition.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
When are you in action?
Speaker 3 (02:25):
So I'll be in action.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
On the fourth of September at around nine forty six
pm New Zealand time.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
That'll be my shot put and then my.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Javelin is on the seventh of September at around five
eighteen am, so that'll be a little bit of an
early one, but I'm sure lots of people be get
up to watch because.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
It's going to be quite a good, quite a good event.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Now, you've just been welcomed into the athletes village, haven't you.
You've had your yeah fuato and you've had your ponamu
presented to you. That used to have been very emotional.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah it was, And and when I think about it,
you know, I'm Nahu, I'm from down south and it's
been a journey that I've sort of just gone on
myself in terms of my Malori heritage and my fucker
pappa and so to be welcomed in such a way
given your ponamu and sharing that with your funo, your
(03:18):
team in the village here is really special. It also
connects you with home, so having that ponamu.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
With us here is really special for me.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
It signifies connection and it signifies the culture of our
team as well. So it was really special and definitely
a moment I won't forget.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Just going back to your javelin throw, what's the furthest
you've thrown?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
So my pebe is just under forty six meters, so
forty five seventy three Off the top of my head,
we tend to just listen to the first half of
that distance, so yeah, run forty five seventy three ish.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Wow, when you look at how it started and where
you are now, that is amazing.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Oh, I've come such a long way, So that's really
really cool, and I hope to portray a performance that
equals it, or if not, goes a little bit further there.
I am sort of in the later years of my
life as an athlete, so I would love to throw
throw a massive throw out there and hopefully get a
(04:21):
peb on the board that will put me in really
good standings. But also I'm just really looking forward to it,
getting amongst all the girls and having a great competition.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
And I mean you are You've hit Suji right, But
you're not very old, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Or not not quite yet. I'm twenty nine, not quite thirty.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Yet, that's important. How have you found Paris?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Well, I've only been here for a day, so I've
actually been in Montpellier in France at our pre camp.
So I decided, along with Mitch Joint, our sprinter, that
we would stay a little bit longer than the rest
of our track and field team.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
So we just got in here today. But so far,
well it's been raining all day, so not so good.
But the village is great.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I've just moved into my room with my roommate and
a Grimaldi and we're just sort of getting settled.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
I'm looking forward to looking at the village.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
And going to the training tracks and then hopefully the
stadium over the next few days as well.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Before I compete for more from News Talk sed B,
listen live on air or online, and
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio
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