Anna Taylor: Para-cyclist on her Silver Medal success at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games

A moment to savour for para-cyclist Anna Taylor. 

The 33 year old's claimed silver in the C-4 women's 3000 metre time trial at the Paris Paralympic Games. 

Taylor's endured thyroid cancer, as well as a severe disc prolapse in her back that compressed her spinal cord. 

It's New Zealand's first medal of the Games, and she joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to recount her success. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Dancy
Wildegrave from News Talk said, b we welcome now.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
To the All Sports Breakfast. Silver medalist of the Paralympics
and a three thousand meter individual be sued hi an
A Taylor. Congratulations, how good you just when we just
beaming with this?

Speaker 3 (00:26):
Oh? Thanks, Hey, thanks so much having me. Yeah, I'm
stoke guy, Yeah, real happy.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
What's the reaction like after the hour or two after
you pick it up? Is it still a case of
what the hell just happened there? Do you settle into it?
What emotion do you go through?

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Still kind of going through? I think, you know, I
have to see my family and yeah, that was really special.
And then it was just I need to eat.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
I don't want to keep keep you away from your
food too much, but I'm going to have the next
couple of minutes. Is this with them? This is within though,
what you plan to achieve? All about PBS in any
form of Olympic sport regardless, but actually meddling, was this
something you figured you'd be able to achieve?

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Well, it was one of those things where you know,
if everything kind of went in my favor, you know,
and everything kind of aligned on the day. Then yeah,
I definitely thought that I was capable of this, and yeah,
and that's what happened. So I'm just really grateful that,
you know, my strength and speed and everything that I've
been working towards and the numbers that I've been seen

(01:34):
in practice this whole time just kind of came together
on race day. So you know, that's probably a testament
to my coach and just as expertise really getting me
in the right place when it metters the most.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
There's something about Wahni on bicycles over the last few weeks.
It's really quite well. You guys are all stand up,
ain't you when it comes to promoting that sports success
is there for the taking? What is it about us
on bikes, especially you women?

Speaker 3 (02:05):
You know what I was thinking about this before. I think,
you know, success breed success. And we trained with the
the sprint squad, you know, every like twice a week,
you know, so we see them on the track and
we see how hard they work, and I think it
was really cool that you know, their success played out
the way that they the way that it did. And
you know, same with you know, the endurance women and

(02:25):
the men as well. But you know, it's just it's
really special to be a part of that wider cycling
New Zealand team. You know, they see the stage for
us really well, so you know we're just we're right
in the high with them.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Great the baton and carried on running. So apparently, though
your your career, you're relatively new to international cycling. I
think you david on swimming as well as but you've
you've found your heavy place on the bike. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
I assume when I was a kid, I wouldn't say
it was pretty good. Yeah, I think I have an
accident when I was in twenty sixteen and started cycling
in twenty eighteen.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
What appeals to you about being on the bike? What
is it that doesn't for you? Because plainly, you've got
to love the sport, otherwise you're not going to go
much further, are you, Because they amounted the time, the blood,
the sweet the tears. You don't do it because you
don't like it. So what does it for you about
about the sport of cycling.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
I'm not sure. I think it's more about you know,
the pursuit of being an athlete, but I think it's
it's about you know, pushing yourself and testing yourself and
putting yourself in a position where you really have to
figure out who you are and what you're made of.
I think that's what is the thing that keeps me going.

(03:41):
You know. I was been rowing before I hurt my back,
and it was a hard change. But then I realized
it's actually not so much about the sport as it
is so much about, you know, the personal games that
you get from being involved in sport.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
So where do you go from now? You've obviously got
a you've got race, got road race coming up. Beyond that,
what's in the near future, the distant future and a tailor?

Speaker 3 (04:05):
Excuse me, well, I'll do my time trial on the
road and then you know, finish up with the Paralympics team,
and then my partner and I are going to go
on a short holiday which would be real nice. And
then yeah, we'll see come home and let the dust
set us, see what happens. I have no intention of

(04:27):
retiring from sports, so yeah, see what happens.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
What about the rest of the team. You've got a
reasonable crew in Paris supporting each other.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
How they going. So this is the day two of competition,
so we're really just in the beginning stages of it,
but you know things are about to really kick off,
so I really encourage everyone to tune in and watch
the Paralympics team. Yeah, it's really special to be a
part of. And you know, we've got a good crew

(04:56):
and you know, the sport around us here is just fantastic,
So you know, it's a lot easier to be successful
when you've got a good group of people around you.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
Incredible, the size of the crowds, just like Olympics a
couple of weeks beforehand, outrageous. Must be just wonderful performing
amongst that that tumult of human beings. What a place
to be.

Speaker 3 (05:20):
Oh, honestly, it was so overwhelming. It was like Set
three overload. It was insane. It was so cool. Yeah,
just you know, one of those memories that you'll just have, yeah,
for a lifetime.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
One last thing before you go, And Taylor, where are
you going to keep the metal? And how heavy are
those things? How good?

Speaker 3 (05:41):
Oh they're so heavy. I'm not sure I think we
get a box. This is my pocket at the moment.
I should find a special place for it. But yeah, no,
it's really cool and we'll I'll find somewhere special for it.

Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah, leave it in your pocket. That's the perfect place
and just keep your hand on it. What you achieved
fantastic women see four three thousand meter individual Pursuits usilvert
medallist Anda Taylor. Thanks very much for your time, Congratulations
and war in regards to the entire team for what
hopefully will be a very successful time over in Paris.

Speaker 3 (06:15):
Oh, thank you so much and thanks for the support
back home. It really means a lot to us.

Speaker 1 (06:20):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talks' B on Saturday mornings, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio