Anna Grimaldi is a two-time Paralympic Gold medalist in the Women’s T47 Long Jump (Rio 2016 & Tokyo 2020). She is also the silver and bronze medalist from the World Champs in 2019 and 2015 respectively, and the NZ record holder in the 100, 200, 400 and long jump in her classification, T47. Anna is also the number 2 ranked long jumper in 2021 in NZ among able-bodied athletes. Off the track, Anna was appointed a member of the NZ Order of Merit in 2017 for her services to athletics.
In this episode, Anna and I chat about her classification, T47, what it means and how Para-athletes get classified. Anna explained the importance of role models and representation for her when she was beginning her athletics journey. There were a lot of comparisons discussed between her Rio and Tokyo gold medals. Anna shared her overcoming of mental and physical setbacks, identity issues, post-games depression, and motivation.

Anna's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annakategrimaldi/?hl=en
Photo of Anna in Cover Photo: PhotoSport

Timestamps for main points:
0:00 Intro
2:50 What is T47? Can you cheat the system?
6:53 Becoming a long jumper
12:23 Importance of representation/role models
13:47 Rio Gold vs Tokyo Gold
20:04 Overcoming mental setbacks
23:30 Identity struggles
27:34 Post-Games depression
34:15 Maintaining motivation
38:58 How to help Para-sports grow
43:46 Outro

Quotes + key bits:
“As a kid, and going through into high school as well, sports was kind of my safety net. It was one of those places where I didn’t really feel disabled… It was that safe space where I could really be myself. I was quite shy about having one hand in everyday life as a kid, and so when I went on that netball court there was no hiding, I couldn’t hide, but I also didn’t really want to either”
“It was cool that [Holly Robinson and Jess Hamill] lived in Dunedin and I could kind of see the pathway of getting places. Without being able to see where you can go and see that people have done what you want to do, it can be a bit more tricky”
“I struggled a little bit when I got home [from Rio], because I didn’t necessarily feel I deserved it, or that I was the best in the field… and feeling like I had to prove that I was good enough”
“I was in a funny place. My identity was hung up on that I was the gold medallist, that’s how people knew me, and I couldn’t even do any form of running”
“I spoke to a lot of people and had some pretty average thoughts and conversations where it was ‘poor me’, but I was lucky to have people who were okay to listen to that and show me why I was feeling like that”
“Obviously jumping big was the end goal, but having small goals outside of jumping along the way that weren’t just ‘win in Tokyo’”
“Before Rio I chose to focus on my performance a lot more than seeing friends or going on holidays, and I don’t regret that because it got me to where I am. But it took that break to realise that I was ‘Anna the friend, the sister, the daughter, the student’, so making sure there was time in my week for those things were important”
“I wouldn’t keep going if I felt like I didn’t have bigger jumps in me… and it doesn’t feel like the end”
“This is the first season I’ve felt like a real long jumper, so I don’t feel like it’s been enough for me to figure out my full potential”
“At the end of the day, I just want to be seen as an athlete. I do happen to only have one hand, and I get my own opportunity to represent my country, but I put in the hours just like everyone else. And I think that’s something that isn’t necessarily understood”
“I didn’t know about the Paralympics until I was about 16, and if I’d known about it when I was 6, and been able to see people jumping with one hand, what a difference that would have made to my confidence and making me feel like I’m not the only one like this”