April 19, 2025 • 7 mins
Swimming champion Cam Leslie is set to leap into the water for the upcoming 2028 LA Paralympic Games.
He joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
He's got a Paralympics. Three time Paralympic gold medalist, Paris
swimmer and member of the New Zealand Order of Merrick
cam Leslie has committed to the next Paralympic Games in
Los Angeles in twenty twenty eight. He won the means
one hundred and fifty meter individual medley at the two
thousand and eight, twenty twelve and twenty sixteen Paralympics.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
The world record is coming close.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
It's going to be close.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
It's going to be a world record.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
And he's done it.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Two twenty three twelve Cameron Leslie.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
And cam Leslie doing something different to help us preparations
heading to Japan this week to train with his great
rival and friend taki Yuki Suzuki, himself a fourteen time
Paralympic medalist in cam Leslie spending ten days with take
Yuki Suzuki in Tokyo. Cam Lesley joins us on Weekend Sport.
Cam How did this all come about?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Gives came through a bit of a conversations my data
with some of New Zealanders looking after the development space
and was over in Queensland before Christmas at a competition
over there and hit Tucker and his coach were there
and I said to him, was like, mate, I'd love
to come and do some with you guys if you're
open to it. And he said, yeah, yeah, come whenever,
and I said, sweet, let's pick a date. And so
before we left Brisbane we'd had set a date down
(01:24):
to sort of move forward and start some planning to it.
And then yeah, helped the new year and we were
able to lock in a training plan with it.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Really, So what are you hoping to achieve during your
time in Tokyo?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I hope me and Tucker, you know, we're bribers for
a long time, but none of it now in either
of us spring chickens, and we're moving towards the sprint
races mainly. He's probably been a little bit more sprint
orientated his whole career more than me. I've been more
in the medley side of things and moving into the
sprint stuff a bit more, I guess purposefully now. So yeah,
hoping to essentially see what they do a little bit.
(01:58):
So they he had massive sort of transition with his
coach change and his like physique changed massively in the
twelve months leading into Paris, and he turned up a
very different athlete who we saw twelve months earlier. So
just keen to see how he approached it, what sort
of like sprint stuff they're doing in training, how they're
managing his body. Yeah, all of the above really get
(02:18):
guys in there. But I mean for me personally, every
single time you push off the wall, it's going to
be something that means something to you. So just looking
forward to having like ten days worth of super meaningful training,
you know, with the competition right, like we're friends, yeah,
but absolutely we're getting one over each other in training outstanding.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
So as you look towards twenty twenty eight, are you
looking to do something similar to what taka Yuki did
in terms of the kindest form of that you turn
up in La looking.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Like, Yeah, I'm very different smim of now to what
I was in Paris, to be honest, just the training
is so so different, way more gym focused, a lot
more like consistency in terms of the decisions coming through
in the gym, and we've still got more things we
want to add in terms of the content of it.
So Yeah, long story short, you're definitely trying to be
a little bit different athlete what I was in Paris.
(03:05):
But it's also that's the sustainable way forward for me.
I can't and I'm not strong at those longer races
anymore I used to be when I was younger, and
it's just I guess it's time to let them go
and really focus in on the ones that we're good
at and the ones we've got true middle potential.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
In a couple of fourth place finishers in Paris, how driven?
How motivated are you to get back on the podium
in La Pretty motivated?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
I can't say fourth place is a place I've enjoyed finishing,
particularly by those margins. I mean there's stupid margins, yeah,
point one point two, whatever they actually were. They were
so so close that I know I'm a better athlete
than that, and I don't want to finish a career
on fourth placings. I mean, I've had a pretty enjoyable
career with success wise it and I know him better
(03:50):
than what I was in Paris, and I've definitely set
out in these last six months to be different than
what I was there and leading in and it's been
really cool. It's been a little bit of the old
school athlete cam coming back and where that meets family life.
And we've made some big changes at home to make
it possible to be in LACE. So yeah, really looking
forward to it and just we're hoping that the body
can last it. I mean it's really good. Much more
(04:12):
in preferring the training nowadays, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Yeah, I understand you. You recently moved to a smaller property,
given you more time to focus on your training. Obviously
you're very busy at home. I think three kids under six,
I think anybody who's had one kid will know what
three might be like. So is that the kind of
changes that you're talking about in terms of lifestyle.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, exactly. We've gone from ten hectares to half an acre,
like still weep, I go. Half an acre is a
big lot and I go if I hurt up man
Compared to ten hectares, it's a dream.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
The no stock to manage, no water to manage, no
like we're just on town supply. It is so much different.
Like we go away for a training camp or a
weekend or whatever it is, and there's not a list
of a dozen things to do just to have the
animals and stock ready so they can survive, you know,
a week while you're away and you're not really having
them get out on the roads or anything like that.
It's just so much more of a simple life, which
(05:00):
is great. I mean, we need it as a family unit,
but having the three kids under six, like you say,
is different dynamic and different level of intensity and attention.
You want to be able to give it home, to
be present when you can be. So yeah, some big
changes really, So I wouldn't be serious about LA if
we hadn't just been like, well, let's bloody move house
to make this so we can actually do it, because
(05:21):
at the moment we can't do it on ten hectares indeed.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
And you've got the power of Welshwiming Champs in Singapore
in September. So how big a goal are they and
how important to step along the way to LA are they?
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Yeah? Pretty important? Just I think in my mind it's
a little bit of set in the record straight, you know.
I want to turn up there and put some pretty
important performances on the board that I'm proud of. We've
done some test events so far and racing's going really well.
We're only point three I think it was across fifty
three style and fifty backstrip off what I did in Paris,
and that's off only in twelve week training block. So
(05:55):
that's bloody good shape to be in this early into
a cycle and leading into worlds. So looking forward to
that and some of most of the guys who beat
me in Paris slower than me right now, So I'm like,
if it we're tracking, well, well let's keep pushing.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Absolutely. And so you're talking about La. You said you
don't want to finish on fourth places? Are you like?
Is La definitely it?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Or?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I mean, can you swim into your forties at the
twenty thirty tosches across the pond in Brisbane? May you
could do it? You could do that? Surely? Oh?
Speaker 3 (06:21):
I know it's as good as the home games, right,
long story short, Yeah, I've raced against people who are
forties and fifties before, and like that's the difference with
Paris sport, right and the lower classifications. Age isn't such
a factor, if that makes sense, So potentially yep.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Could.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
I'm just really focused on leading into La and then
reassessed after that. I mean, young kids, life's going to change,
whether or not I'm able to buy into it as
much to the level that there needs to be. And
I don't want to be the guy who just carries
on swimming because I'm finishing fifty and sixth and stuff
like that. And you know, I like performance, I like winning.
I don't want to be just you know, making up numbers.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Yeah, here's me trying to ask you what you're going
to be doing in seven years from now. That's probably
me getting a bit carried away. Let's get let's get.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Out, say a long way way. I've really got a
five seven years.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
That's right, that's right. Well, it sounds like Japan's going
to be an awesome experience for you with some really
really key things to achieve over there. Thanks for taking
the time for a chat, mate. Hope it goes well
in Tokyo for you.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Yeah, cheers, mate, much appreciate it now.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Thank you for joining us. Jam cam Leslie their eyes
on twenty twenty eight the next Paralympic Games for a
three time Paralympic gold medalist, hoping to add to those
in two years three years time. At the Paralympic Games
in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B 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):
He's got a Paralympics. Three time Paralympic gold medalist, Paris
swimmer and member of the New Zealand Order of Merrick
cam Leslie has committed to the next Paralympic Games in
Los Angeles in twenty twenty eight. He won the means
one hundred and fifty meter individual medley at the two
thousand and eight, twenty twelve and twenty sixteen Paralympics.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
The world record is coming close.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
It's going to be close.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
It's going to be a world record.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
And he's done it.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Two twenty three twelve Cameron Leslie.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
And cam Leslie doing something different to help us preparations
heading to Japan this week to train with his great
rival and friend taki Yuki Suzuki, himself a fourteen time
Paralympic medalist in cam Leslie spending ten days with take
Yuki Suzuki in Tokyo. Cam Lesley joins us on Weekend Sport.
Cam How did this all come about?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Gives came through a bit of a conversations my data
with some of New Zealanders looking after the development space
and was over in Queensland before Christmas at a competition
over there and hit Tucker and his coach were there
and I said to him, was like, mate, I'd love
to come and do some with you guys if you're
open to it. And he said, yeah, yeah, come whenever,
and I said, sweet, let's pick a date. And so
before we left Brisbane we'd had set a date down
(01:24):
to sort of move forward and start some planning to it.
And then yeah, helped the new year and we were
able to lock in a training plan with it.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Really, So what are you hoping to achieve during your
time in Tokyo?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I hope me and Tucker, you know, we're bribers for
a long time, but none of it now in either
of us spring chickens, and we're moving towards the sprint
races mainly. He's probably been a little bit more sprint
orientated his whole career more than me. I've been more
in the medley side of things and moving into the
sprint stuff a bit more, I guess purposefully now. So yeah,
hoping to essentially see what they do a little bit.
(01:58):
So they he had massive sort of transition with his
coach change and his like physique changed massively in the
twelve months leading into Paris, and he turned up a
very different athlete who we saw twelve months earlier. So
just keen to see how he approached it, what sort
of like sprint stuff they're doing in training, how they're
managing his body. Yeah, all of the above really get
(02:18):
guys in there. But I mean for me personally, every
single time you push off the wall, it's going to
be something that means something to you. So just looking
forward to having like ten days worth of super meaningful training,
you know, with the competition right, like we're friends, yeah,
but absolutely we're getting one over each other in training outstanding.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
So as you look towards twenty twenty eight, are you
looking to do something similar to what taka Yuki did
in terms of the kindest form of that you turn
up in La looking.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Like, Yeah, I'm very different smim of now to what
I was in Paris, to be honest, just the training
is so so different, way more gym focused, a lot
more like consistency in terms of the decisions coming through
in the gym, and we've still got more things we
want to add in terms of the content of it.
So Yeah, long story short, you're definitely trying to be
a little bit different athlete what I was in Paris.
(03:05):
But it's also that's the sustainable way forward for me.
I can't and I'm not strong at those longer races
anymore I used to be when I was younger, and
it's just I guess it's time to let them go
and really focus in on the ones that we're good
at and the ones we've got true middle potential.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
In a couple of fourth place finishers in Paris, how driven?
How motivated are you to get back on the podium
in La Pretty motivated?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
I can't say fourth place is a place I've enjoyed finishing,
particularly by those margins. I mean there's stupid margins, yeah,
point one point two, whatever they actually were. They were
so so close that I know I'm a better athlete
than that, and I don't want to finish a career
on fourth placings. I mean, I've had a pretty enjoyable
career with success wise it and I know him better
(03:50):
than what I was in Paris, and I've definitely set
out in these last six months to be different than
what I was there and leading in and it's been
really cool. It's been a little bit of the old
school athlete cam coming back and where that meets family life.
And we've made some big changes at home to make
it possible to be in LACE. So yeah, really looking
forward to it and just we're hoping that the body
can last it. I mean it's really good. Much more
(04:12):
in preferring the training nowadays, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Yeah, I understand you. You recently moved to a smaller property,
given you more time to focus on your training. Obviously
you're very busy at home. I think three kids under six,
I think anybody who's had one kid will know what
three might be like. So is that the kind of
changes that you're talking about in terms of lifestyle.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, exactly. We've gone from ten hectares to half an acre,
like still weep, I go. Half an acre is a
big lot and I go if I hurt up man
Compared to ten hectares, it's a dream.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
The no stock to manage, no water to manage, no
like we're just on town supply. It is so much different.
Like we go away for a training camp or a
weekend or whatever it is, and there's not a list
of a dozen things to do just to have the
animals and stock ready so they can survive, you know,
a week while you're away and you're not really having
them get out on the roads or anything like that.
It's just so much more of a simple life, which
(05:00):
is great. I mean, we need it as a family unit,
but having the three kids under six, like you say,
is different dynamic and different level of intensity and attention.
You want to be able to give it home, to
be present when you can be. So yeah, some big
changes really, So I wouldn't be serious about LA if
we hadn't just been like, well, let's bloody move house
to make this so we can actually do it, because
(05:21):
at the moment we can't do it on ten hectares indeed.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
And you've got the power of Welshwiming Champs in Singapore
in September. So how big a goal are they and
how important to step along the way to LA are they?
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Yeah? Pretty important? Just I think in my mind it's
a little bit of set in the record straight, you know.
I want to turn up there and put some pretty
important performances on the board that I'm proud of. We've
done some test events so far and racing's going really well.
We're only point three I think it was across fifty
three style and fifty backstrip off what I did in Paris,
and that's off only in twelve week training block. So
(05:55):
that's bloody good shape to be in this early into
a cycle and leading into worlds. So looking forward to
that and some of most of the guys who beat
me in Paris slower than me right now, So I'm like,
if it we're tracking, well, well let's keep pushing.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Absolutely. And so you're talking about La. You said you
don't want to finish on fourth places? Are you like?
Is La definitely it?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Or?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I mean, can you swim into your forties at the
twenty thirty tosches across the pond in Brisbane? May you
could do it? You could do that? Surely? Oh?
Speaker 3 (06:21):
I know it's as good as the home games, right,
long story short, Yeah, I've raced against people who are
forties and fifties before, and like that's the difference with
Paris sport, right and the lower classifications. Age isn't such
a factor, if that makes sense, So potentially yep.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Could.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
I'm just really focused on leading into La and then
reassessed after that. I mean, young kids, life's going to change,
whether or not I'm able to buy into it as
much to the level that there needs to be. And
I don't want to be the guy who just carries
on swimming because I'm finishing fifty and sixth and stuff
like that. And you know, I like performance, I like winning.
I don't want to be just you know, making up numbers.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Yeah, here's me trying to ask you what you're going
to be doing in seven years from now. That's probably
me getting a bit carried away. Let's get let's get.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Out, say a long way way. I've really got a
five seven years.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
That's right, that's right. Well, it sounds like Japan's going
to be an awesome experience for you with some really
really key things to achieve over there. Thanks for taking
the time for a chat, mate. Hope it goes well
in Tokyo for you.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Yeah, cheers, mate, much appreciate it now.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Thank you for joining us. Jam cam Leslie their eyes
on twenty twenty eight the next Paralympic Games for a
three time Paralympic gold medalist, hoping to add to those
in two years three years time. At the Paralympic Games
in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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