August 24, 2024 • 14 mins
Kiwi shooter Neelam O'Neill isn't as nervous as you'd expect a first-time Paralympian to be.
O’Neill will be the first woman Paralympian to represent New Zealand in pistol shooting and the second in rifle shooting.
She joined Piney to ahead of the upcoming Paralympic Games.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Paralympics are fast approaching and paraschuoter Nelam O'Neill will compete
in the R three Mixed ten meter air rifle prone
sh one and the P two Women's ten meter Air
Pistol sh one. Neilim O'Neil will become the first female
Kiwi shooter to compete at a Paralympic Games in four
decades and the first woman ever to represent New Zealand
(00:36):
in the air pistol at a Paralympic Games. Neilam O'Neill
is with us. How are the emotions, Neilam, is you
as you get ready for your very first Paralympics.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
To be honest, I'm feeling fairly calm, which is a
bit scary because normally, even for competitions like World Cups
or Championships, I'm excited. I'm like, yeah, let's get going,
and I just feel this overwhelming calmness and I think
it's a good thing. Actually, I think I'm just you know,
(01:08):
we're a little bit we've got a little bit of
time before our competitions as well, and I think i'm
just building. I think I'm taking it day by day
and I'm excited. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited,
but I've got this calmness about it, and I'm enjoying it.
I'm enjoying being embracing everything around me.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Right now, that's amazing. I mean, you sound surprised at
how calm you are, right, Why do you think you're
feeling so serene ahead of the biggest competition of your life.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah, I think I'm surprised because normally, when I go
into a competition, you know, I'm getting up and fired
up and i just want to do well, and I'm
really excited. I feel like I'm a little kid jumping
up and down in a candy store when I go
to competitions. But I think this time, because it's the
parallemic bucks, I've looked so hard for so long to
(02:00):
get here, and I think it's just still unreal. I
can't believe that I'm actually here. I can't believe that
I'm finally fulfilling my dream. And in the funny way,
I think all the training, all everything I've worked towards,
I think it's all just kept me really calm and going, Hey, look,
We've worked, we've worked hard, we've done the work, We've
(02:21):
dedicated our time to this. Now it's time to get
behind it and simmer down and do the job.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
How long has this been a goal for you?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Oh, don't ask me that. It's been an ongoing dream
for so long. I think my first proper memory of going, hey,
maybe I could go to the Games was end of
twenty fourteen when I went to my first overseas competition,
(02:53):
which was an Australian Grand Prix. I ended up third
in my rifle because at the time I was only
doing rifle and I was just so surprised at my results,
and I was like, hey, maybe maybe I could do this.
And yeah, just been working away at it and chipping
at this massive rock that I never thought I could
(03:15):
break through, and now that it's here, I'm like, oh, no,
what to do now? But nah, I think because I've
dedicated so much time, so much effort, and all the
hard work over the years I've put in, and at
the end of the day, actually, I just love what
we do. I love shooting. I love being able to
(03:36):
aim at something and hit it so accurately, and yeah,
that massive boulder just got smaller and smaller, and now
we're here and to do what I love on international stage.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
That's so cool. Take us back the NTO twenty fourteen.
So you started thinking about what might be possible. I
guess Rio twenty sixteen was probably a bit close, only
a couple of years away. But what about Tokyo Nela
Was that ever a goal or was it always Paris
that felt the one or felt like the one you'd
be aiming for.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Tokyo definitely was the first one I was aiming for.
Rio was a bit too close for comfort, and funny enough,
I was actually, I think only zero point two of
a point off from winning a quota for New Zealand
for Rio at the World Cup in Australia in twenty fifteen,
(04:27):
which was my first World Cup. At the time, I
didn't realize how important I guess that was. I kind
of say, ah, yeah, not working towards Rio, it's fine,
But Tokyo Tokyo. I knuckled down and did the work,
even though COVID came around and you know, put everybody
on hold as well, which didn't help actually with us
(04:51):
because we need to go overseas to compete and at
the time as well being a self fun athlete, it
cost quite a lot to take the gear, an extra
support person as well to help me with my gear,
and getting all that together was just not so easy
back then as well. And then yeah, I guess because
(05:14):
of COVID, couldn't go to the World Cup and then
had to try and do home trials to see if
we could get through selection that way, and unfortunately I
had everything ticked off except for the quota, so I couldn't.
I couldn't go to Tokyo, and almost it almost smashed
(05:35):
my dreams of going to a Paralympic Games in the
sense that it was just so devastating not being like,
you know, putting all that work in and not getting
to that point where you're like, yes, I've done it.
But luckily, I say luckily unfortunately because we went into
the COVID lockdown again in twenty twenty one, I think
it was August. It was around the same time that
(05:57):
the Games were on. So I went home and was like, Okay,
I'm gonna go back to Panga day, I'm gonna have
some chill time, I'm going to put my guns down
and I'm just going to focus on work study and
family time, and that was the best thing for me
because I was able to watch the games chair my
friends on and seven months later I was back at
(06:20):
the range shooting and doing what I love and remembering
my why. And I think this cycle has been really
great in the sense that I've learned from Tokyo and
I've gone, Okay, it is what it is, it's like,
but the dream is still alive. Dream is still raw,
and we've just got to chip at this boulder and
(06:40):
see how we can go. And managed to do the
same thing. I was in the same boat this time
round as well, except I had done better in my performances,
had traveled a little bit more as well, And yeah,
I did the job. But now I'm here.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
So it's always been the rifle, but you've added the
pistol also to your repertoire. You'll compete in both events
at the Paralympics. How did you come to add the
pistol to your repertoire? What was that in twenty nineteen?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, so I actually technically, I said technically added it
in twenty and seventeen. The reason being is I've got
rheumatoid arthritis in my right elbow and around that time,
I was struggling to shoot. I was really struggling to
shoot because with rifle I lean on table with both elbows,
(07:33):
and because I couldn't lean on it every time, well
actually every time I'd lean on my elbow, I just couldn't.
It was just so painful and moving it around was
changing my position, and admittedly I got a little bit scared.
I got a little bit scared I had to give
my dream up. And so I looked at it and went, actually,
hang on, I've got this mantra in my head that
(07:56):
I can shoot anything, so let's try and see what
pistal can do. And so I picked up pistole, had
a chat to my coach, Ricky Zou and say, hey,
can you coach me on pistol and let's see how
that goes. And funny enough, wasn't taking it seriously because
obviously rifle was the baby, and I was like, yep,
(08:17):
first call. I took the pistole to my World Cup
in Thailand in twenty seventeen, first ever competition for pistol.
Not the smartest idea, but I was like, hey, why not?
And I ended up qualifying for the World Championships for
twenty and eighteen, and I was like, oh wow, like
what how did this happen? But unfortunately I couldn't go
(08:41):
because then I ended up having elbow surgery the following
year and so couldn't complete the championships. Bar In saying
that it was a blessing in disguise because I was
able to shoot rifle, and so then both of them
just played a part. And yeah, I just I can't pick.
I can't pick which one's better because both of them
(09:02):
are just as good.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Well, you mentioned that mentra there of shooting shots. Is
that the same across the two? It feels like shooting
a pistol and shooting a rifle are quite different, But
are there similarities things that apply to both?
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, so I guess the way that I look at
a rifle and pistol. For anybody that plays instruments, musical instruments,
it's kind of like say, playing a piano versus playing guitar,
So you know, everything is like how to play is different, right,
the physicality of how to play different, but you're reading
(09:37):
the same music. So because you're reading the same music,
you know the mental skills are the same. Your process
is pretty similar as well. It's just the mechanics I
guess that are slightly different, and like triggering as well,
everything's the same. So because I have got a slightly
musical background, it works better for my head as well.
(09:59):
And I think also because I'm pretty unique in the
sense that half of me is pistol half of men's rifles.
So I shoot left handed pistol and right handed rifle,
and so most people shoot half I guess, as in
like they do right side left side. I say I'm
a full shooter because technically I am. I do rifle
(10:21):
and pistol as a whole, and that makes me a
whole person. Wow.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
What a great analogy too with the music that gives
us a great, great understanding of it. You coached in
the air Rifle by Michael Johnson. He's there in Paris
about to compete at his sixth Paralympics. Incredible. Tell us
about his influence on you.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Mike's been like one of my biggest supporters from way
way way back. He was the first one to actually
coach me. And I say coach because at the time
I didn't think it was coaching, It was more showing
me air rifle. Back in twenty eleven at the O
Tarraspinal Unit and then when we got our range in
(11:02):
twenty twelve, Mike started coaching me a little bit more
and regularly, and yeah, he showed me rifle. I stuck
with rifle. And you know, it's very very special that
I get to be here to witness to six Paralympic Games.
But also, you know, one of my dreams was to
be able to go to a games while he's competing
(11:24):
as well. And it's just a phenomenal time really, Like
it's just incredible that I get to share this experience
with him and he can share it with me and
see all the work that he's done to get me
to this point as well.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And you're breaking new ground yourself, Neila. You know, as
I said before, the first female key we shooter at
a Paralympics and forty years first woman ever to represent
US in pistol at a Paralympics. You're blazing a trail.
How motivated are you to do that to inspire others,
especially young females, to get involved in parachuting.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah, so I love that I could smash some of
those barriers that have been in place, especially it's you know,
forty years is a long time since having a female shooter,
and you know, it's it was back in the day
seen as a masculine sport and now I think there's
more equality coming through as well. What's shooting, And I
(12:22):
think just seeing females getting into sport, regardless whether it's
shooting or not. Like obviously I am biased and I'd
love to see more shooters in New Zealand come through,
but just getting females in sports is a big, a
big drive, Like it just provides so many good things,
good elements for a person, not just the sport itself,
but you know, helps somebody to grow and develop it
(12:45):
as a person, and you know, just buying so many
good vibes, good things into life. So yeah, just helping
everybody to get to that point is awesome. And I'm
just being a trailblazer. I don't really see myself as
a trailblazer. I was like, I'm just need them, like
I just do what I do. And yeah, but it's
(13:08):
good that you know, I think seeing someone who is
colored with the disability and female, that's a rare combination
and I think that it's making a huge impact in
itself right now.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
It certainly is it certainly is. I'd call you a
trial blazer, Neilim. It's been such a delight to chat
to you. Thank you so much for joining us. All
the best in the next couple of weeks in Paris.
Can't wait to see what happens in the next couple
of weeks for you. Thanks so much for your time, well,
thanks for having me, Thanks for joining us. Nela O'Neil
there from I think Auckland. Yeah, Auckland. I think I
(13:45):
could be wrong, though I probably shouldn't say that just
in case she's not. But she's certainly a part of
our Paralympics team and the first female Kiwi shooter to
compete at a Paralympic Games in forty years. Looking forward
to getting the Paralympics underway on Thursday.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed Be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Paralympics are fast approaching and paraschuoter Nelam O'Neill will compete
in the R three Mixed ten meter air rifle prone
sh one and the P two Women's ten meter Air
Pistol sh one. Neilim O'Neil will become the first female
Kiwi shooter to compete at a Paralympic Games in four
decades and the first woman ever to represent New Zealand
(00:36):
in the air pistol at a Paralympic Games. Neilam O'Neill
is with us. How are the emotions, Neilam, is you
as you get ready for your very first Paralympics.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
To be honest, I'm feeling fairly calm, which is a
bit scary because normally, even for competitions like World Cups
or Championships, I'm excited. I'm like, yeah, let's get going,
and I just feel this overwhelming calmness and I think
it's a good thing. Actually, I think I'm just you know,
(01:08):
we're a little bit we've got a little bit of
time before our competitions as well, and I think i'm
just building. I think I'm taking it day by day
and I'm excited. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited,
but I've got this calmness about it, and I'm enjoying it.
I'm enjoying being embracing everything around me.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Right now, that's amazing. I mean, you sound surprised at
how calm you are, right, Why do you think you're
feeling so serene ahead of the biggest competition of your life.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah, I think I'm surprised because normally, when I go
into a competition, you know, I'm getting up and fired
up and i just want to do well, and I'm
really excited. I feel like I'm a little kid jumping
up and down in a candy store when I go
to competitions. But I think this time, because it's the
parallemic bucks, I've looked so hard for so long to
(02:00):
get here, and I think it's just still unreal. I
can't believe that I'm actually here. I can't believe that
I'm finally fulfilling my dream. And in the funny way,
I think all the training, all everything I've worked towards,
I think it's all just kept me really calm and going, Hey, look,
We've worked, we've worked hard, we've done the work, We've
(02:21):
dedicated our time to this. Now it's time to get
behind it and simmer down and do the job.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
How long has this been a goal for you?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Oh, don't ask me that. It's been an ongoing dream
for so long. I think my first proper memory of going, hey,
maybe I could go to the Games was end of
twenty fourteen when I went to my first overseas competition,
(02:53):
which was an Australian Grand Prix. I ended up third
in my rifle because at the time I was only
doing rifle and I was just so surprised at my results,
and I was like, hey, maybe maybe I could do this.
And yeah, just been working away at it and chipping
at this massive rock that I never thought I could
(03:15):
break through, and now that it's here, I'm like, oh, no,
what to do now? But nah, I think because I've
dedicated so much time, so much effort, and all the
hard work over the years I've put in, and at
the end of the day, actually, I just love what
we do. I love shooting. I love being able to
(03:36):
aim at something and hit it so accurately, and yeah,
that massive boulder just got smaller and smaller, and now
we're here and to do what I love on international stage.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
That's so cool. Take us back the NTO twenty fourteen.
So you started thinking about what might be possible. I
guess Rio twenty sixteen was probably a bit close, only
a couple of years away. But what about Tokyo Nela
Was that ever a goal or was it always Paris
that felt the one or felt like the one you'd
be aiming for.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Tokyo definitely was the first one I was aiming for.
Rio was a bit too close for comfort, and funny enough,
I was actually, I think only zero point two of
a point off from winning a quota for New Zealand
for Rio at the World Cup in Australia in twenty fifteen,
(04:27):
which was my first World Cup. At the time, I
didn't realize how important I guess that was. I kind
of say, ah, yeah, not working towards Rio, it's fine,
But Tokyo Tokyo. I knuckled down and did the work,
even though COVID came around and you know, put everybody
on hold as well, which didn't help actually with us
(04:51):
because we need to go overseas to compete and at
the time as well being a self fun athlete, it
cost quite a lot to take the gear, an extra
support person as well to help me with my gear,
and getting all that together was just not so easy
back then as well. And then yeah, I guess because
(05:14):
of COVID, couldn't go to the World Cup and then
had to try and do home trials to see if
we could get through selection that way, and unfortunately I
had everything ticked off except for the quota, so I couldn't.
I couldn't go to Tokyo, and almost it almost smashed
(05:35):
my dreams of going to a Paralympic Games in the
sense that it was just so devastating not being like,
you know, putting all that work in and not getting
to that point where you're like, yes, I've done it.
But luckily, I say luckily unfortunately because we went into
the COVID lockdown again in twenty twenty one, I think
it was August. It was around the same time that
(05:57):
the Games were on. So I went home and was like, Okay,
I'm gonna go back to Panga day, I'm gonna have
some chill time, I'm going to put my guns down
and I'm just going to focus on work study and
family time, and that was the best thing for me
because I was able to watch the games chair my
friends on and seven months later I was back at
(06:20):
the range shooting and doing what I love and remembering
my why. And I think this cycle has been really
great in the sense that I've learned from Tokyo and
I've gone, Okay, it is what it is, it's like,
but the dream is still alive. Dream is still raw,
and we've just got to chip at this boulder and
(06:40):
see how we can go. And managed to do the
same thing. I was in the same boat this time
round as well, except I had done better in my performances,
had traveled a little bit more as well, And yeah,
I did the job. But now I'm here.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
So it's always been the rifle, but you've added the
pistol also to your repertoire. You'll compete in both events
at the Paralympics. How did you come to add the
pistol to your repertoire? What was that in twenty nineteen?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, so I actually technically, I said technically added it
in twenty and seventeen. The reason being is I've got
rheumatoid arthritis in my right elbow and around that time,
I was struggling to shoot. I was really struggling to
shoot because with rifle I lean on table with both elbows,
(07:33):
and because I couldn't lean on it every time, well
actually every time I'd lean on my elbow, I just couldn't.
It was just so painful and moving it around was
changing my position, and admittedly I got a little bit scared.
I got a little bit scared I had to give
my dream up. And so I looked at it and went, actually,
hang on, I've got this mantra in my head that
(07:56):
I can shoot anything, so let's try and see what
pistal can do. And so I picked up pistole, had
a chat to my coach, Ricky Zou and say, hey,
can you coach me on pistol and let's see how
that goes. And funny enough, wasn't taking it seriously because
obviously rifle was the baby, and I was like, yep,
(08:17):
first call. I took the pistole to my World Cup
in Thailand in twenty seventeen, first ever competition for pistol.
Not the smartest idea, but I was like, hey, why not?
And I ended up qualifying for the World Championships for
twenty and eighteen, and I was like, oh wow, like
what how did this happen? But unfortunately I couldn't go
(08:41):
because then I ended up having elbow surgery the following
year and so couldn't complete the championships. Bar In saying
that it was a blessing in disguise because I was
able to shoot rifle, and so then both of them
just played a part. And yeah, I just I can't pick.
I can't pick which one's better because both of them
(09:02):
are just as good.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Well, you mentioned that mentra there of shooting shots. Is
that the same across the two? It feels like shooting
a pistol and shooting a rifle are quite different, But
are there similarities things that apply to both?
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, so I guess the way that I look at
a rifle and pistol. For anybody that plays instruments, musical instruments,
it's kind of like say, playing a piano versus playing guitar,
So you know, everything is like how to play is different, right,
the physicality of how to play different, but you're reading
(09:37):
the same music. So because you're reading the same music,
you know the mental skills are the same. Your process
is pretty similar as well. It's just the mechanics I
guess that are slightly different, and like triggering as well,
everything's the same. So because I have got a slightly
musical background, it works better for my head as well.
(09:59):
And I think also because I'm pretty unique in the
sense that half of me is pistol half of men's rifles.
So I shoot left handed pistol and right handed rifle,
and so most people shoot half I guess, as in
like they do right side left side. I say I'm
a full shooter because technically I am. I do rifle
(10:21):
and pistol as a whole, and that makes me a
whole person. Wow.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
What a great analogy too with the music that gives
us a great, great understanding of it. You coached in
the air Rifle by Michael Johnson. He's there in Paris
about to compete at his sixth Paralympics. Incredible. Tell us
about his influence on you.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Mike's been like one of my biggest supporters from way
way way back. He was the first one to actually
coach me. And I say coach because at the time
I didn't think it was coaching, It was more showing
me air rifle. Back in twenty eleven at the O
Tarraspinal Unit and then when we got our range in
(11:02):
twenty twelve, Mike started coaching me a little bit more
and regularly, and yeah, he showed me rifle. I stuck
with rifle. And you know, it's very very special that
I get to be here to witness to six Paralympic Games.
But also, you know, one of my dreams was to
be able to go to a games while he's competing
(11:24):
as well. And it's just a phenomenal time really, Like
it's just incredible that I get to share this experience
with him and he can share it with me and
see all the work that he's done to get me
to this point as well.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And you're breaking new ground yourself, Neila. You know, as
I said before, the first female key we shooter at
a Paralympics and forty years first woman ever to represent
US in pistol at a Paralympics. You're blazing a trail.
How motivated are you to do that to inspire others,
especially young females, to get involved in parachuting.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah, so I love that I could smash some of
those barriers that have been in place, especially it's you know,
forty years is a long time since having a female shooter,
and you know, it's it was back in the day
seen as a masculine sport and now I think there's
more equality coming through as well. What's shooting, And I
(12:22):
think just seeing females getting into sport, regardless whether it's
shooting or not. Like obviously I am biased and I'd
love to see more shooters in New Zealand come through,
but just getting females in sports is a big, a
big drive, Like it just provides so many good things,
good elements for a person, not just the sport itself,
but you know, helps somebody to grow and develop it
(12:45):
as a person, and you know, just buying so many
good vibes, good things into life. So yeah, just helping
everybody to get to that point is awesome. And I'm
just being a trailblazer. I don't really see myself as
a trailblazer. I was like, I'm just need them, like
I just do what I do. And yeah, but it's
(13:08):
good that you know, I think seeing someone who is
colored with the disability and female, that's a rare combination
and I think that it's making a huge impact in
itself right now.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
It certainly is it certainly is. I'd call you a
trial blazer, Neilim. It's been such a delight to chat
to you. Thank you so much for joining us. All
the best in the next couple of weeks in Paris.
Can't wait to see what happens in the next couple
of weeks for you. Thanks so much for your time, well,
thanks for having me, Thanks for joining us. Nela O'Neil
there from I think Auckland. Yeah, Auckland. I think I
(13:45):
could be wrong, though I probably shouldn't say that just
in case she's not. But she's certainly a part of
our Paralympics team and the first female Kiwi shooter to
compete at a Paralympic Games in forty years. Looking forward
to getting the Paralympics underway on Thursday.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed Be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.