If things went really well, Sionann Murphy was expected to be able to walk one day. She would certainly never run, much less do a triathlon. A stroke suffered while she was in mother Loraine's womb left Sionann with cerebral palsy, causing paralysis down her right side.
Nia Wallace's outlook was even more grim. A car driven by a 15-year-old learner ploughed through the fence of her home, striking the then 3-year-old and fracturing her skull. A stroke left Nia with hemiplegia, the same condition as Sionann. She had to learn to walk and talk all over again.
Tomorrow, the close friends, who met during rehabilitation at Takapuna's Wilson Home, will be among hundreds of children competing in the final leg of the Weet-Bix TRYathlon at North Shore's Woodhill Park.
The trainer wheels came off Sionann's bike just six weeks ago, so the 9-year-old is a bit nervous about the ride. Nia, 10, is doing the swim leg, and they'll both complete the run.
In its 22nd year, the TRYathlon series is going from strength to strength. For the past five months, children aged 7 to 15 from around New Zealand have participated in 14 swim-bike-run events.
