Sarah James: Wheelchair racer on being the first to represent NZ at a major event in over 20 years

After over 20 years, a Kiwi wheelchair racer is representing New Zealand at a major international event. 

20-year-old Sarah James is one of three athletes on debut, selected for the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in India this September. 

She joined Lesley Murdoch for a chat about her journey to this moment and what we can expect from her in India. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, some exciting times for our christ Church wheelchair racer
Sarah James. And boy, not only is she going to
turn twenty one this year, but she is off to
the twenty twenty five World Power Athletics Championships. It'll be
in India and that's in September, and Sarah joins us.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Good morning, Hi, good morning all.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Congratulations because this is a bit of a revelation, isn't
that we have got international wheelchair racer. We haven't had
one for about twenty years.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, it's been about twenty years and there hasn't been
a female for a very long time.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
So how did you get into wheelchair racing?

Speaker 2 (00:36):
I joined a group called Parafed Canterbury and they introduced
it to me when I was about forteen years old
and then I just started from there, went to a
Halberg Games, showed everyone there that I was doing it,
and yeah, been doing it ever since.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Both those avenues would be thrilled to know that they've
had a big impact on you. Yeah, definitely tell us
a little about your training schedule.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
So I train about five times a week my racer
and I do three gym sessions a week as well.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
So when you're racing. Are you out on the roads.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
I'm out on the road. Just make sure it's not
in the way of any cars. But yeah, the track,
and then I've got a pair of rollers at home
and that are just in my garage that I can
do inside.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Your journey to qualifying for the World Power Athletics Championships
last year, you were pretty close to getting there, weren't you.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yes, I was very close. I got one standard, but
unfortunately I had to get another time, so I didn't
quite make it, but I was very close.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
The strength component part of it. You talked about the gym,
so you have to do weights.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yeah, weights and some power stuff and also speed into it,
all combined together to make sure I get chavier and stronger.
I wasn't expecting to get here so quickly, And a
lot of wheelchair races actually only peak when they're about
twenty eight, so they don't start or there later in

(02:06):
their twinnings, so it's pretty early for me. Yeah. I
own all the records from one hundred, two hundred, four hundred,
eight hundred and fifteen hundred meters. No one else in
the South Island apart from me, and then there's about
three or four others up in the North Island that
do it, so there's very small amount of numbers. We

(02:28):
only really race a couple times a year New Zealand
Nationals and we also go over to Camerare at the
start of January to do a competition there which we
race against the other Australians and some international people.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Who's your inspiration? Who helps you to motivate you to
do the wonderful things that you're doing?

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Mostly a group of people, so my parents help me.
Other wheelchair races like Catherine de Brunner and Sammy King
who more world record holders and parallem medalists as well.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
What category do you racing?

Speaker 2 (03:09):
I race in the T fifty three category.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
And what does that mean?

Speaker 2 (03:13):
That means I have no ab movement and no leg
leg muscles or anything and my legs can't walk. It's
all arms and shoulders right.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
And look where it's taking you. I mean that's what anybody,
whatever sport they're playing, that's what they want to do
is get to the top.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, it's amazing, it's a dream come true. Just to
thank everyone who's supported me throughout this journey, like my parents,
my family, people who have sponsored me. Halberg and parafed canopy. Yeah,
just Happy Mother's Day to my mum.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
Really well, I think you're amazing. It's phenomenal. Thank you
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