PRECIOUS METAL: Holding Duane Kale's Paralympic medals from left Aisha Weir, 8, Lateesha Mazur, 8, and Jade Pelser, 8.
I thought having a disability meant going to sit in a corner and wait to die.
After months of agonising pain, Duane Kale underwent a scan which located a spinal tumour, which was about size of a thumb.
"I was 21-years-old and thought I had cancer," the latest Kapiti Kids Motivation Trust guest speaker told children at Paraparaumu Beach School.
"I thought I was going to die.
"That's a pretty tough place to be when you're that age."
Duane had been in pain for a long time after he fell off his road bike in State Highway 2 Lower Hutt, during triathlon training, when a left handlebar snapped off.
"No broken bones, one broken bike, and my pride was broken."
A good night's sleep didn't improve his sore condition so he went to a doctor who said he had typical symptoms from falling off a bike.
Physio work didn't work so he went back to the doctor because of ongoing pain.
He had an operation on his back after squashing of his spinal cord was discovered, and then prescribed various pills to relieve the pain.
But after about a year he was still sore so went back to the surgeon but was told he had a low pain threshold, had become addicted to the drugs, and needed to sort his life out.
"It was a pretty tough message because I thought I was doing okay."
He saw another doctor about getting involved in sport but the doctor suspected something was medically amiss which led to Duane having a scan which found the spinal tumour.
A surgeon decided to remove the tumour but unfortunately part of the procedure left Duane paralysed from the waist down.
"I thought having a disability meant going to sit in a corner and wait to die."
Duane thought about his early life growing up in the Hawke's Bay and how much he had enjoyed swimming including national representation.
He got a trainer, established a swimming programme, and set some goals.
Before long Duane was in the New Zealand team and competing in the Asia Championships where he won three gold medals, two silvers with the relay team, and achieved his first world record.
He was picked for the national team at the Atlanta Paralympics and would go on to win four golds, one silver and a bronze medal.
He returned to the Paralympics as swimming team manager, and then as Chef de Mission for two Paralympics.
To assist his working life, he was aged 30 when he started a masters degree in business, and now works for the ANZ bank where he is responsible for 400 staff.
Daune is also on the international Olympics board whose aim it is to select the host city for the 2024 Olympic Games as well as Paralympics.
"When you think things are pretty bad and you think there's no hope, and you think 'gee I might as well sit in a corner and wait to die', don't take that choice because you just never know what may happen in the future.
"Never give up and aspire to achieve.
"It won't matter, 100 years from now, what your bank account balance was, what sort of house you lived in, or what sort of car you drove.
"I think the most important thing is make a difference to yourself but also make a difference to others."
