Disability has been part of my life forever. It took me a long time to embrace and celebrate it, and the journey getting there was not easy. But, getting there has shaped my life in a way I never imagined and led me to taking up this role.
My bike was a big part of the journey. I grew up on the Kapiti Coast and rode a bike from a very young age. It was far more than just a bike for me. Being an amputee I couldn't keep up with other kids running and walking, and I was acutely aware I was different.
My bike gave me a sense of freedom and a sense of fitting in, on my bike I was able to keep up with my friends. And I used to ride everywhere, daring to imagine that I might become one of the fastest people in the world on a bike.
But off the bike, I did not have a sense of belonging or being the same. I was in hospital while my friends were at school, ongoing surgeries were just part of life. I was never sure going into a surgery, exactly how I'd turn out the other side. I grew up with a profound sense of no control over my body.
My bike was always an escape from this. During my university years, I didn't ride much at all. In fact, I made a deliberate choice to shut disability out completely and in a way, suppress part of who I am. I tried to ignore it on the basis that this would be the only way to make it in the world. But then I was drawn back to the bike and started racing duathlons with friends.