The Word with Wendy Petrie

“Being ok with what my body is, accepting this is me.”

Para swimming champion & Wheel Black, Cameron Leslie’s journey from Whangārei’s local pools getting some filthy looks, to triumph on the world stage is an inspiration. The quadruple amputee, is heading to his 4th Paralympics or the ‘big dance’ as he calls it. From being soundly beaten and on the verge of quitting, to wanting to win at all costs, Cameron admits the Paris Paralympics will look very different. The now father of 3 now wants to show his kids that Dad can do some cool stuff. Paving the way for disabled swimmers and shining a light on the sport, Cameron says back when he first hit the international stage there was no kaumātua or old dogs to guide the up and comers. Swimming for the 30 year old offers a sense of freedom, while out of water it’s clunky. Even now, he admits to fighting a constant mental battle with body image. However he knows he is part of the change raising the profile of disabled athletes, that come August, will see the Paralympics shown on primetime tv.

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Motocross World Champion, Courtney Duncan has done what no other female kiwi rider has done, win a World Championship title multiple times. Being on top of the podium, four times in five years, you’d think the 28 year old from Otago, would be able to kick back a bit.

But from the outset this trailblazer has been determined, setting her sights higher each year and not taking anything for granted after an injury setback. There’s more to come in her impressive career, as she changes teams and location for 2024, embarking on her goal of winning a fifth world title. 

She talks about the transformation of motocross, where once there were hardly any girls, now seeing so many, brings a smile to Courtney's face.

"You made it impossible not to pick you". Those were the words Dame Noeline Taurua said to Karin Burger upon selection to the Netball's Silver Ferns. Karin's journey here began when she moved to New Zealand as an 18 year old on a gap year from South Africa. Now the netball star has clocked up 50 tests for the Ferns & turned 30. Her dream to play for the Silver Ferns took years of hard work and grind taking on jobs while playing and studying. 

Painfully shy, Karin did not say a word when she first started playing, learning to speak English as a second language. But she found a strong support group with her local netball club and her confidence grew. Karin shines a light on how much team culture has to play in a team's success, why pride is different from arrogance and what she's learnt from Dame Noeline Taurua.

Now we’ve had a chance to reflect on the history making magic of Football Ferns and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, I chat to Football Ferns star defender Claudia Bunge now playing for HB Koge in Demark. She reveals how Auckland's traffic nearly unravelled their first game against Norway at a sold out Eden Park and how she hopes the Ferns have inspired kiwi kids to play football.

On the issue of that controversial kiss on Spanish football player Jenni Hermoso, Bunge says sexism is a massive issue in women's football. 

“It was awful thing what Jenni went through. It was on the most public platform there could be so it's been good to see teams and players standing with her."

23 year old Bunge says she has learnt first-hand the power of team culture of every athlete feeling valued when she played for the Melbourne Victory. 

“I’ve never been the most talented athlete or most athletic football player, the thing I can do is work hard.” With the biggest women’s sporting event in the world here in New Zealand, the FIFA World Cup, we catch up with Football Ferns Goalkeeper Vic Esson. Her story is remarkable. After playing with the U17 & U20 squad she dropped out of the High Performance programme, instead taking up a US sports scholarship, before working fulltime, & playing with a men’s club team. Finally at the age of 27 years, Vic turned professional at a time when many are moving on from elite sport. Vic’s dream of playing with the Football Ferns again came true when she was named in the team from Scotland where she’s playing with the Rangers. Vic says it’s hard for the Ferns to comprehend the excitement of a home World Cup & is excited about inspiring the next generation.

That trademark winning smile is back. Seven years since pole vaulter Eliza McCartney won a bronze medal at the Olympics, the 26 year old's launched a comeback to the sport she loves. Plagued with injuries it's been a rocky road but she was determined not to give up. Incredibly, it meant a year of learning how to walk again. Her patience paid off with a qualification to the World Championships in Hungary. The next goal, the Paris Olympics 2024. In a full and honest conversation, she talks about how she's a wildly different athlete now from when she won that Olympic medal. 

Young gun cricketer Fran Jonas is just 18 and part of a new wave of White Ferns inspiring a new generation in the sport. With a watershed pay equity deal by New Zealand Cricket granting females the same match fees as their male counterparts, Fran says it’s an exciting time. She grew up playing cricket with the boys until she was 10. Her Dad who’d never played cricket, became her coach. The unorthodox left arm spinner who notched up the Commonwealth Games and World Cup says she loves cricket more than ever. Find out how that dangerous left arm spin came about.

When told she wasn't welcome at football training with the boys in Gisborne, upcoming 16 year old New Zealand representative Renee Holmes was devastated. Instead of packing it in, she picked herself up & took a huge risk switching codes, from football, to rugby. It was the best decision she ever made. Seven years later she is a proud World Champion Black Fern with a goal kicking skills lauded as outstanding by legend Dan Carter. What you might not know about Renee is how far she's travelled to get where she is today, literally. Her Dad, Laurie drove hours each day to get her to training and games. She's now set her sights on being the best goal kicker in the world by the next World Cup. Her story is a total inspiration. 

Music credit: Hard Boiled, Kevin MacLeod

“High Performance sport is dangerous. It’s dangerous to be in that limelight, you get addicted to it. Your identity is wrapped up in these things. It’s a golden window of your life and it won’t last forever.”

New Zealand Canoe sprint star Aimee Fisher has one dream in her heart, a dream she’s had since she was a child. To be the best in the world. Her recent showdown with Olympic Champion Dame Lisa Carrington proves she’s got what it takes. Now she’s setting her sights on the Paris Olympics 2024 but there’s something few people know about Aimee. That growing up she was wracked with fear, that it’s taken years to achieve the grit and work ethic required of a top athlete. That she would paddle to the start line in tears, afraid of the pain. She wants people to know, not all athletes are born tough.

The 27 year old made the tough decision two years ago to step out of Canoe NZ’s High Performance programme citing athlete welfare. With the spotlight on the treatment of High Performance female athletes, she shares what she thinks is needed for a healthy environment and culture. The last two years have been the hardest for Aimee. Some days she admits crying in the middle of the lake during morning sessions on her own, but her strength and determination to achieve her dream, is nothing less than inspiring.

Music credit: Hard Boiled, Kevin MacLeod

“Go on girls, go and get what’s yours.” The spine-tingling exchange between Gold medal rower, Emma Twigg & Black Ferns star Ruby Tui as the Rugby Sevens hit the field for their epic Olympic Final. A hugely popular player, Ruby’s made a name for herself on and off the field after her hilarious post match viral interviews and for shining a light on Mental Health. She reveals how she came to the game by accident not realising women’s rugby was a thing. Ruby shares how she’s learnt to trust her gut, why culture is so important and her big year ahead.

Music credit: Ghost n ghost, Sir Ghostington