August 28, 2024 • 7 mins
New Zealand Paralympics Chef de Mission Raylene Bates joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the opening of the games.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk Z'B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
And it's a warm welcome now to Railing baits Chef.
The mission for the New Zealand Paralympic team course gets
underway with the opening ceremony tomorrow morning, New Zealand time.
It's just about to hear have you taken a breath? Raylean?
Is it all now? It's all ready to go? There's
nothing more you can do.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Ye, good morning, Darcy.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Hello from a very lovely, beautiful day in Paris, and yes,
let's all go here and the village teams are rolling in,
lots of people circulating. Everything's set up for our qv
team and we're just about right on ready to go
for competition.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Now.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Expectations is this how you run this? Do you look
at a holiday? I hate the term, but I'll use
it anyway. KPI is what do you guys need to
actually produce to say this has been a successful games?
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Oh well, at the end of the day, getting everybody
home safely is a successful games.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
But yeah, no, I mean it's about the ATHLETs.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
I mean, Pinnacle events are so unpredictable and all that
we're wishing is for our athletes to achieve it. You know,
if they can achieve a PEB at a pinnacle event,
that is absolutely amazing because you know.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
It's the best in the world.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
It's a pressure cocker situation, and you know, things happen.
You know, somebody can produce a PB and not gain
a medal, but that's still equally a fantastic performance because
they couldn't have done any better. But equally somebody can
not have a PB and get a medal. So you know,
it just it just all depends on the day, It
(01:40):
all depends on the schedule. But realistically, somebody makes a final,
they make the top eight, it's.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
A clean canvas and you know it's anybody's game. Really.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Now, there are similar instructions reselection around the Paralympians as
they are around the Olympians. I we expect you to
get this and that's why we're picking you. Are they
that structured at all or not rolying?
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Oh no, we're A selection criteria is a selection criteria
for a reason. You know, selection criteria standards are set
generally by the governing organization, so they give you their
indication of what that is.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Then the NSOs they.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Don't have their nomination criteria, which then goes to you know,
the the Relevant Paralympics Zealand for their selections. So it's
a very structured process. It's as you also negotiate negotiated
process with the organizations.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
There's a lot of.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Collaboration, but ultimately, you know, the the underlying minimum standard
for somebody to be at any of these events is
actually set by the world the relevant sports world organizations,
so for athletics will be World Power Athletics. So it's
something that's typically it's a straightforward process. It is you know,
(02:55):
if this happens, that happens, that that happens, that happens.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It's structured. It's very structured and easily to read and aligned.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Ruhing Bates joined the SIFT mission for them is on
Paralympic Team twenty five strong side eleven debutantes, so you
must be able to feel the energy around them. You
often speak to Olympians and tell even to one you
really don't know what to expect, So I expect that
eleven will be not on teen to hooks, but a
little edgy, if for one of a better word.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Oh, there's a sense of excitement and actually a sense
of calmness amongst our team. I think the environment that's
been created by the support team has enabled the athletes
to come in and feel relaxed, feel at ease, and
more importantly, feel at home and feel like they've got
a wider fin hour around them, which is certainly the
vibe that we've been getting.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
As I said, a sense of calmness.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
You know, for the debutantes to be able to mix
and mingle with those well seasoned athletes is amazing. They
can learn off them, they can share their stories, they
can pick up tips.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
It's also about some of the athletes that were in Tokyo.
This games is a complete different games from a village
perspective here Tokyo, whereby we had so many rules.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
And regulations around.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
We went allowed to interact with other people, we went
allowed to mix and mingle, we went, allowed to catch
up with friends. So for those athletes that actually went
to Tokyo, this is like a new experience for them
as well. Obviously they have the competition experience, but from
a village experience, this is like a brand new games
as well for them, So it's really exciting. We've got
(04:37):
some very season campaigners in this team, so well established athletes,
current world record holders, current world champions, current parent Olympic medalists,
all returning, so they're sharing their knowledge and expertise and
actually immersing themselves as mentors amongst the other athletes as well.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yeah, there are some veterans I use that word carefully
that have been around for a number of games. They
happy to carry the weight of understanding and helping them
out playing from what you said they are, but it
is an expectation around them because of the amount of
time that spent.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I don't know that it's an expectation.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
I think it's something that just evolves, because you know,
if you can build a culture that people are happy
and they're cal't, it just it just happens. It's not forced,
it's not it just evolves and it's quite organic and
that you just see these relationships building, you see the sharing,
(05:31):
you see the confidence growing. So and that just comes
from giving people space, giving them a safe place to
be able to just sit and chat and ask questions
and things like that. So it's nothing forced, it's nothing structured.
It just, as I said, evolves amongst a team that's
happy and come.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
How big do you support crew? Twenty five athletes? Who
else is over there? Because you've got coaches, logistically the
whole lot. How big is this team? Really?
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (06:00):
No, it's great because again you're unlike Tokyo when family
and friends couldn't travel, So there's a lot of family
and friends here. A lot of athletes have got friends
who have been based in Europe and are coming over
to watch them compete, for instance, a lot of family
and friends from home. Great to see the support of
high performance Sport New Zealm with Steve Chu being here,
(06:21):
the Minister of Sport is going to be here for
a few days. It's amazing. The support that we've had
from you atil Own, New Zealand and the wider community,
not just the sporting community, has been fantastic and this
team absolutely embraces that. They really relish the support and
that they're getting from not just back home but Kiwi's
(06:43):
right throughout the world.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Comprehensive coverage on TV and C Plus, get amongst and
watch it I Mean Sea Many tomorrow from six o'clock.
Rulling Baits Thanks very much for your time, Wishing all
of the athletes, all of the support crew the best
from here at news Talk ZB you travel safe and
go well.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Thank you so much, Darcy, We'll do our best.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
For more from Sports Talk, listen lived to news Talk
ZBB from seven pm weekdays all Follow the podcast on
iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk Z'B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
And it's a warm welcome now to Railing baits Chef.
The mission for the New Zealand Paralympic team course gets
underway with the opening ceremony tomorrow morning, New Zealand time.
It's just about to hear have you taken a breath? Raylean?
Is it all now? It's all ready to go? There's
nothing more you can do.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Ye, good morning, Darcy.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Hello from a very lovely, beautiful day in Paris, and yes,
let's all go here and the village teams are rolling in,
lots of people circulating. Everything's set up for our qv
team and we're just about right on ready to go
for competition.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Now.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Expectations is this how you run this? Do you look
at a holiday? I hate the term, but I'll use
it anyway. KPI is what do you guys need to
actually produce to say this has been a successful games?
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Oh well, at the end of the day, getting everybody
home safely is a successful games.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
But yeah, no, I mean it's about the ATHLETs.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
I mean, Pinnacle events are so unpredictable and all that
we're wishing is for our athletes to achieve it. You know,
if they can achieve a PEB at a pinnacle event,
that is absolutely amazing because you know.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
It's the best in the world.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
It's a pressure cocker situation, and you know, things happen.
You know, somebody can produce a PB and not gain
a medal, but that's still equally a fantastic performance because
they couldn't have done any better. But equally somebody can
not have a PB and get a medal. So you know,
it just it just all depends on the day, It
(01:40):
all depends on the schedule. But realistically, somebody makes a final,
they make the top eight, it's.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
A clean canvas and you know it's anybody's game. Really.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Now, there are similar instructions reselection around the Paralympians as
they are around the Olympians. I we expect you to
get this and that's why we're picking you. Are they
that structured at all or not rolying?
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Oh no, we're A selection criteria is a selection criteria
for a reason. You know, selection criteria standards are set
generally by the governing organization, so they give you their
indication of what that is.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Then the NSOs they.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Don't have their nomination criteria, which then goes to you know,
the the Relevant Paralympics Zealand for their selections. So it's
a very structured process. It's as you also negotiate negotiated
process with the organizations.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
There's a lot of.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Collaboration, but ultimately, you know, the the underlying minimum standard
for somebody to be at any of these events is
actually set by the world the relevant sports world organizations,
so for athletics will be World Power Athletics. So it's
something that's typically it's a straightforward process. It is you know,
(02:55):
if this happens, that happens, that that happens, that happens.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It's structured. It's very structured and easily to read and aligned.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Ruhing Bates joined the SIFT mission for them is on
Paralympic Team twenty five strong side eleven debutantes, so you
must be able to feel the energy around them. You
often speak to Olympians and tell even to one you
really don't know what to expect, So I expect that
eleven will be not on teen to hooks, but a
little edgy, if for one of a better word.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Oh, there's a sense of excitement and actually a sense
of calmness amongst our team. I think the environment that's
been created by the support team has enabled the athletes
to come in and feel relaxed, feel at ease, and
more importantly, feel at home and feel like they've got
a wider fin hour around them, which is certainly the
vibe that we've been getting.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
As I said, a sense of calmness.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
You know, for the debutantes to be able to mix
and mingle with those well seasoned athletes is amazing. They
can learn off them, they can share their stories, they
can pick up tips.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
It's also about some of the athletes that were in Tokyo.
This games is a complete different games from a village
perspective here Tokyo, whereby we had so many rules.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
And regulations around.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
We went allowed to interact with other people, we went
allowed to mix and mingle, we went, allowed to catch
up with friends. So for those athletes that actually went
to Tokyo, this is like a new experience for them
as well. Obviously they have the competition experience, but from
a village experience, this is like a brand new games
as well for them, So it's really exciting. We've got
(04:37):
some very season campaigners in this team, so well established athletes,
current world record holders, current world champions, current parent Olympic medalists,
all returning, so they're sharing their knowledge and expertise and
actually immersing themselves as mentors amongst the other athletes as well.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yeah, there are some veterans I use that word carefully
that have been around for a number of games. They
happy to carry the weight of understanding and helping them
out playing from what you said they are, but it
is an expectation around them because of the amount of
time that spent.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I don't know that it's an expectation.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
I think it's something that just evolves, because you know,
if you can build a culture that people are happy
and they're cal't, it just it just happens. It's not forced,
it's not it just evolves and it's quite organic and
that you just see these relationships building, you see the sharing,
(05:31):
you see the confidence growing. So and that just comes
from giving people space, giving them a safe place to
be able to just sit and chat and ask questions
and things like that. So it's nothing forced, it's nothing structured.
It just, as I said, evolves amongst a team that's
happy and come.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
How big do you support crew? Twenty five athletes? Who
else is over there? Because you've got coaches, logistically the
whole lot. How big is this team? Really?
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (06:00):
No, it's great because again you're unlike Tokyo when family
and friends couldn't travel, So there's a lot of family
and friends here. A lot of athletes have got friends
who have been based in Europe and are coming over
to watch them compete, for instance, a lot of family
and friends from home. Great to see the support of
high performance Sport New Zealm with Steve Chu being here,
(06:21):
the Minister of Sport is going to be here for
a few days. It's amazing. The support that we've had
from you atil Own, New Zealand and the wider community,
not just the sporting community, has been fantastic and this
team absolutely embraces that. They really relish the support and
that they're getting from not just back home but Kiwi's
(06:43):
right throughout the world.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Comprehensive coverage on TV and C Plus, get amongst and
watch it I Mean Sea Many tomorrow from six o'clock.
Rulling Baits Thanks very much for your time, Wishing all
of the athletes, all of the support crew the best
from here at news Talk ZB you travel safe and
go well.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Thank you so much, Darcy, We'll do our best.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
For more from Sports Talk, listen lived to news Talk
ZBB from seven pm weekdays all Follow the podcast on
iHeartRadio
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