October 25, 2025 • 11 mins
The next Winter Paralympics will take place in Milano Cortina next year, with multiple Kiwi athletes making the cut.
Corey Peters joined Elliott Smith 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):
The Winter Paralympics which are early parts of next year,
and Corey Peters has been selected for his next games.
He's got a very very successful record. In fact, he's
won four Paralympic medals. He won gold last time at
Beijing on the sitski and he joins us now on
news Talk ZEBB as we count down to the Winter
Paralympics next year. Corey, thank you so much for your
(00:35):
time this afternoon.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, count down to Milan Cortina early next year, of course.
How preparations going as you get ready for this event.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yeah, preparations are going well. Had a good season here
in New Zealand, a nice training camp over in Chile. Yeah,
just feeling you know, body's feeling good. Mine's feeling good.
So get ready to kick into it in about three
weeks when we get off to Europe.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Can you believe that it's already been three in a
bit years since that Golden twenty twenty two.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah, it definitely goes fast, you know, it goes by
in a flash of it. You know, it's pretty crazy,
but yeah, they come around quick, and Yeah, like I said,
we're ready to go again and feeling in a good position,
feeling confident.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
That gold medal. Do you go back and watch it?
I know you've sort of described it as one of
the best runs of your life. Do you go back
off and watch that Men's downhill gold Medal?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah? To be honest, I do, actually like every once
in a while I'll flick back and watch it, and
it kind of almost gives myself a little bit of
extra motivation and inspiration. Yeah, to kind of push forward
and hopefully we can do it again. It's obviously not
going to be an easy feat. The competition seems to
get better and better every year. So we'll just go
out there and I'll do my best and hopefully try and.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Replicate it what went so right that day to create
that run of your life.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
As you said, I think you know what they're talking
about with that flow state, you know, like athletes and
not get into that flow state. It kind of felt
like that for me. It just really felt like everything
slowed down and I was just in the zone, just
tunnel vision. Every turn was felt perfect, and it just
felt like I had a lot of time to react
(02:25):
even though you know you're going to one hundred.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Odd k and now, and you backed it up the
next day with the silver and the super g as well.
Was it was it hard to back up the next
day after that goal?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Yeah, I guess you've got a lot of adrenaline going right,
and even until the next day it's still there. You're
still on a high. So I guess confidence just breeds
more confidence in a way. Coming off of gold. You
just you know, it's kind of what we trained for.
You just come back the next day and do it again. Yeah,
it was sort of pipped up the post. I guess
by half a second. Would have been nice to get
(02:59):
the double gold, but you know that's all history now
and we move forward and try and do it again
this time with two golds.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah. Absolutely, Fingers crossed. How tricky is the build up
being this time? I know you just look ated your
shoulder a couple of years back. How much did that,
I guess derail or change your plans as you build
into this premier event. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
So after Beijing, I had the birth of my daughter,
so I took that year off actually, and then the
following year was, like you said, I had the shoulder dessiccation,
and that's the second time that shoulder's been out, So
it was that rehab took a lot longer than I expected,
probably a good twelve months. And then there was a
bit of a I guess psychological element to it as well,
(03:44):
coming back, I guess having extra responsibilities at home now
you know you start questioning, you know, re injuries and
you know how much do you want to push? So
there was, yeah, that psychological element to it, which you know,
I had a little bit of work with the sports
I can got back into it with the competition season
(04:04):
last Northern Hemisphere, which wasn't my greatest season, but I
feel like we've sort of turned a corner now, and yeah,
having that that camp in Chile this year was a
real confidence pooster for me, and I feel I've turned
the corner and yeah, I'm one hundred percent ready to
go now. Like the shoulders back to normal, it's not
really an issue anymore.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
It's positive. With the moments though that you were thinking
about chucking it in given the amount of rehab that
so you said to keep you out for a year,
were at the moments where you thought, maybe, you know,
I don't need to come back. I don't want to
come back.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Oh no, it's always you know, you always want to
for me, like it was always there, I was always
going to come back. There's no question about you know, quitting.
I think it's I've learned over the years. You know,
you're always going to face adversity. Athletes, you know, always
going through injuries and stuff, and it's just a matter
of picking yourself back up and you know, working with
(04:59):
a medical team and the strength and conditioning coaches to
get back to one hundred percent. And that's where we're
at now. So yeah, ready to go.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You mentioned that you've become a dad obviously in the
last couple of years since the last Paralympics as well.
Has that changed your perspective on racing and your preparations
and training and everything like that.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I guess a little bit. And also in a way
it's sort of motivating as well. You're not just doing
it for yourself anymore. You're doing it for the family
and a little young one now, So yeah, it gives
me inspiration and motivation to keep pushing forward and yeah,
just give it my all. Really, I guess that there
is that a little bit of element of you know,
(05:43):
re injuries and things like that, but I think every
athlete has has that. But you know, we put on
the training, we work on a technique and stuff like that,
so hopefully, you know, all that comes into play and
it won't happen again.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Absolutely, Corey tell me to you talk to me about
your set ski, what goes into getting that piece of
equipment and write how much sake can you have? What
are the regulations? Are there any regulations around it for
what you are using as you prepare for the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, so my six keys quite highly motivated, not motivated modified.
We work closely with the christ Church Canterbury University and
their team there worked on making it as aerodynamic as
possible in terms of the leg fairing and the camtail
on the back of the seat. So that's sort of
(06:38):
like a one off, one of a common thing. Nobody
else is really doing it, and it just helps reduce
the drag when I'm coming down the mountain. You know,
I guess it's much like final these sports. We're looking
for fractions of a second, you know, it all counts.
So yeah, its hugely grateful for you know, the support
that I've had through Canterbury University and the team there
(07:02):
that have ensured that I'm pretty much, you know, in
one of the six keys in the world.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
How much does that change since twenty eleven when you
took up the sport? How much is the technology and
things that go into a change and what you use
since you first picked it up.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Yeah, I think the sport's hugely progressed. You know, like
especially with the technology side of it. There's a lot
more science and you know, collecting data and all that
sort of thing now going on. Everybody's looking for, you know,
those extra little games when you're you know, like I
said earlier, losing, you know, getting second by less than
(07:42):
half a second or whatever it was. It's you know,
everybody's just looking for those extra little fractions of a second.
And I think you're just with all the technology and
you know, the data collection, it's the competitions just got
different stuff as the years have gone on.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Take me to the top of the mountain. I guess
I was watching you go been to run last night
as I was preparing to chat to you, and what's
going through your mind as you prepare you to drop in?
I guess that's the terminology. I hope. It's the terminology
for you. You're sitting downhill race like you did at
the at the Paralympics in Beijing.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Yeah, I think with that that particular event, the downhill,
it's the only event that we get to have to
training runs in just because of the risk and the
dangers involved in this higher speed. So you know, that
allows you to kind of build you know, say training
run one and two, and just continue to keep building
till race day. Unfortunately, I crashed in both those training runs,
(08:38):
so I didn't actually get to finish the whole course
as such. So yeah, there's a little bit of nerves
obviously in the start gate, you know, knowing that you
hadn't actually finished the whole course or put it all together.
But I think, you know, we train all the time
like this, Like I said, you kind of once you
break that one, then you're on course. It's just like
(08:59):
a tunnel vision, you know, like everything else just I
guess disappears, you know, and you've just got that one focus.
And obviously, you know, because of the speed you go
in the risk, you know, it makes sense to just
be in the zone and fully focused, you know, a
few laps at concentration. Then you know obviously it's not
(09:19):
going to end well and you'll probably end up crashing.
So yeah, just full concentration, full focus on each gate
in front of you.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Cory Peters with us New Zealand ski racer, Paralympian, full
time medallist, a couple of final questions Corey. The Paralympics
starts in early March. So what does the next few
months look like. You mentioned you're off for the norn
the Hemisphere soon.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yeah, so we're heading off in about three weeks to
Italy to start out preparations, final preparations or final push.
I guess we're predominantly going to be based in Italy
fairly close to Courtina, but from there where we'll travel
and follow the World Cup circuit as well, so we'll
have World Cup preparation races prior to the Games, and
(10:05):
I guess it'll give us obviously good preparation, but we'll
also kind of benchmark of where you're at with your
competition as well, and the leader to Courtina.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
And how confident at this point. You mentioned obviously it's
been a rocky sort of build up, but that you
know he might be able to add to those four
medals that you've got for New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Yeah, that's obviously the goal. I've had one hundred percent
success right with my Paralympic campaigns with a middle at
every games I've attended, so I want to continue that.
That's the ultimate goal. And yeah, I guess just go
there and give it your role and just be proud
of the effort that you put in and see where
(10:47):
you kind of end up in a way.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Absolutely well, we look forward to that early next year
and following your progress and the lead up to the Paralympics. Corey,
thanks so much of your time on news Talk zib
last chatting.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Thanks a lot, awesome for having me. Thanks appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Corey Peter's joining us on Newstalk ZIBB on a Sunday
afternoon Weekend Sport New Zealand skier heading for the Paralympics
is fourth next year. Grateful for his time this afternoon.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news Talk set 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):
The Winter Paralympics which are early parts of next year,
and Corey Peters has been selected for his next games.
He's got a very very successful record. In fact, he's
won four Paralympic medals. He won gold last time at
Beijing on the sitski and he joins us now on
news Talk ZEBB as we count down to the Winter
Paralympics next year. Corey, thank you so much for your
(00:35):
time this afternoon.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, count down to Milan Cortina early next year, of course.
How preparations going as you get ready for this event.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yeah, preparations are going well. Had a good season here
in New Zealand, a nice training camp over in Chile. Yeah,
just feeling you know, body's feeling good. Mine's feeling good.
So get ready to kick into it in about three
weeks when we get off to Europe.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Can you believe that it's already been three in a
bit years since that Golden twenty twenty two.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah, it definitely goes fast, you know, it goes by
in a flash of it. You know, it's pretty crazy,
but yeah, they come around quick, and Yeah, like I said,
we're ready to go again and feeling in a good position,
feeling confident.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
That gold medal. Do you go back and watch it?
I know you've sort of described it as one of
the best runs of your life. Do you go back
off and watch that Men's downhill gold Medal?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah? To be honest, I do, actually like every once
in a while I'll flick back and watch it, and
it kind of almost gives myself a little bit of
extra motivation and inspiration. Yeah, to kind of push forward
and hopefully we can do it again. It's obviously not
going to be an easy feat. The competition seems to
get better and better every year. So we'll just go
out there and I'll do my best and hopefully try and.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Replicate it what went so right that day to create
that run of your life.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
As you said, I think you know what they're talking
about with that flow state, you know, like athletes and
not get into that flow state. It kind of felt
like that for me. It just really felt like everything
slowed down and I was just in the zone, just
tunnel vision. Every turn was felt perfect, and it just
felt like I had a lot of time to react
(02:25):
even though you know you're going to one hundred.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Odd k and now, and you backed it up the
next day with the silver and the super g as well.
Was it was it hard to back up the next
day after that goal?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Yeah, I guess you've got a lot of adrenaline going right,
and even until the next day it's still there. You're
still on a high. So I guess confidence just breeds
more confidence in a way. Coming off of gold. You
just you know, it's kind of what we trained for.
You just come back the next day and do it again. Yeah,
it was sort of pipped up the post. I guess
by half a second. Would have been nice to get
(02:59):
the double gold, but you know that's all history now
and we move forward and try and do it again
this time with two golds.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah. Absolutely, Fingers crossed. How tricky is the build up
being this time? I know you just look ated your
shoulder a couple of years back. How much did that,
I guess derail or change your plans as you build
into this premier event. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
So after Beijing, I had the birth of my daughter,
so I took that year off actually, and then the
following year was, like you said, I had the shoulder dessiccation,
and that's the second time that shoulder's been out, So
it was that rehab took a lot longer than I expected,
probably a good twelve months. And then there was a
bit of a I guess psychological element to it as well,
(03:44):
coming back, I guess having extra responsibilities at home now
you know you start questioning, you know, re injuries and
you know how much do you want to push? So
there was, yeah, that psychological element to it, which you know,
I had a little bit of work with the sports
I can got back into it with the competition season
(04:04):
last Northern Hemisphere, which wasn't my greatest season, but I
feel like we've sort of turned a corner now, and yeah,
having that that camp in Chile this year was a
real confidence pooster for me, and I feel I've turned
the corner and yeah, I'm one hundred percent ready to
go now. Like the shoulders back to normal, it's not
really an issue anymore.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
It's positive. With the moments though that you were thinking
about chucking it in given the amount of rehab that
so you said to keep you out for a year,
were at the moments where you thought, maybe, you know,
I don't need to come back. I don't want to
come back.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Oh no, it's always you know, you always want to
for me, like it was always there, I was always
going to come back. There's no question about you know, quitting.
I think it's I've learned over the years. You know,
you're always going to face adversity. Athletes, you know, always
going through injuries and stuff, and it's just a matter
of picking yourself back up and you know, working with
(04:59):
a medical team and the strength and conditioning coaches to
get back to one hundred percent. And that's where we're
at now. So yeah, ready to go.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You mentioned that you've become a dad obviously in the
last couple of years since the last Paralympics as well.
Has that changed your perspective on racing and your preparations
and training and everything like that.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I guess a little bit. And also in a way
it's sort of motivating as well. You're not just doing
it for yourself anymore. You're doing it for the family
and a little young one now, So yeah, it gives
me inspiration and motivation to keep pushing forward and yeah,
just give it my all. Really, I guess that there
is that a little bit of element of you know,
(05:43):
re injuries and things like that, but I think every
athlete has has that. But you know, we put on
the training, we work on a technique and stuff like that,
so hopefully, you know, all that comes into play and
it won't happen again.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Absolutely, Corey tell me to you talk to me about
your set ski, what goes into getting that piece of
equipment and write how much sake can you have? What
are the regulations? Are there any regulations around it for
what you are using as you prepare for the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, so my six keys quite highly motivated, not motivated modified.
We work closely with the christ Church Canterbury University and
their team there worked on making it as aerodynamic as
possible in terms of the leg fairing and the camtail
on the back of the seat. So that's sort of
(06:38):
like a one off, one of a common thing. Nobody
else is really doing it, and it just helps reduce
the drag when I'm coming down the mountain. You know,
I guess it's much like final these sports. We're looking
for fractions of a second, you know, it all counts.
So yeah, its hugely grateful for you know, the support
that I've had through Canterbury University and the team there
(07:02):
that have ensured that I'm pretty much, you know, in
one of the six keys in the world.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
How much does that change since twenty eleven when you
took up the sport? How much is the technology and
things that go into a change and what you use
since you first picked it up.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Yeah, I think the sport's hugely progressed. You know, like
especially with the technology side of it. There's a lot
more science and you know, collecting data and all that
sort of thing now going on. Everybody's looking for, you know,
those extra little games when you're you know, like I
said earlier, losing, you know, getting second by less than
(07:42):
half a second or whatever it was. It's you know,
everybody's just looking for those extra little fractions of a second.
And I think you're just with all the technology and
you know, the data collection, it's the competitions just got
different stuff as the years have gone on.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Take me to the top of the mountain. I guess
I was watching you go been to run last night
as I was preparing to chat to you, and what's
going through your mind as you prepare you to drop in?
I guess that's the terminology. I hope. It's the terminology
for you. You're sitting downhill race like you did at
the at the Paralympics in Beijing.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Yeah, I think with that that particular event, the downhill,
it's the only event that we get to have to
training runs in just because of the risk and the
dangers involved in this higher speed. So you know, that
allows you to kind of build you know, say training
run one and two, and just continue to keep building
till race day. Unfortunately, I crashed in both those training runs,
(08:38):
so I didn't actually get to finish the whole course
as such. So yeah, there's a little bit of nerves
obviously in the start gate, you know, knowing that you
hadn't actually finished the whole course or put it all together.
But I think, you know, we train all the time
like this, Like I said, you kind of once you
break that one, then you're on course. It's just like
(08:59):
a tunnel vision, you know, like everything else just I
guess disappears, you know, and you've just got that one focus.
And obviously, you know, because of the speed you go
in the risk, you know, it makes sense to just
be in the zone and fully focused, you know, a
few laps at concentration. Then you know obviously it's not
(09:19):
going to end well and you'll probably end up crashing.
So yeah, just full concentration, full focus on each gate
in front of you.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Cory Peters with us New Zealand ski racer, Paralympian, full
time medallist, a couple of final questions Corey. The Paralympics
starts in early March. So what does the next few
months look like. You mentioned you're off for the norn
the Hemisphere soon.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yeah, so we're heading off in about three weeks to
Italy to start out preparations, final preparations or final push.
I guess we're predominantly going to be based in Italy
fairly close to Courtina, but from there where we'll travel
and follow the World Cup circuit as well, so we'll
have World Cup preparation races prior to the Games, and
(10:05):
I guess it'll give us obviously good preparation, but we'll
also kind of benchmark of where you're at with your
competition as well, and the leader to Courtina.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
And how confident at this point. You mentioned obviously it's
been a rocky sort of build up, but that you
know he might be able to add to those four
medals that you've got for New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Yeah, that's obviously the goal. I've had one hundred percent
success right with my Paralympic campaigns with a middle at
every games I've attended, so I want to continue that.
That's the ultimate goal. And yeah, I guess just go
there and give it your role and just be proud
of the effort that you put in and see where
(10:47):
you kind of end up in a way.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Absolutely well, we look forward to that early next year
and following your progress and the lead up to the Paralympics. Corey,
thanks so much of your time on news Talk zib
last chatting.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Thanks a lot, awesome for having me. Thanks appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Corey Peter's joining us on Newstalk ZIBB on a Sunday
afternoon Weekend Sport New Zealand skier heading for the Paralympics
is fourth next year. Grateful for his time this afternoon.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news Talk set B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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