“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.