Paralympics: NZ team head for Athens

1.00pm - By REBECCA WALSH

As the New Zealand Olympic team is due back home, the first group of athletes competing in the Paralympics are making their way to Athens.

New Zealand is sending a 62-strong team, including 36 athletes and 26 support staff,

Chef de Mission Cathy Hemsworth said the team's goal at the games, which start on September 17, was to equal or beat the 18 medals, including nine golds, won in 2000 at Sydney.

"We have a great balance of experience and youth, headed by shooter Colin Willis heading to his fifth Paralympics, down to 15-year-old Theresa Jenkins in the swimming," she said.

Cyclist Paul Jesson, who was among the group of 19 to leave today, said competing at the home of the Olympics would be a great experience, especially after watching the amazing performance of gold medal winning cyclist Sarah Ulmer.

Jesson was living in Belgium in 1980 and riding for a professional team when he collided with a car during a road race. The impact shattered his left knee and he subsequently lost the lower part of his leg to gangrene.

He didn't get to ride his second Tour de France and did not ever expect to ride competitively again.

A cyclist since the age of 12, he continued to ride recreationally and then in the 1990's heard about the Paralympics. He competed in the 1998 World Championships, winning his race, and then went on to the Sydney Paralympics where he took out a fourth in the pursuit and 11th in the road race.

Jesson, who has been training full time for the past two years, averaging 400km a week, expected the competition at Athens to be tough.

"I want to better my personal best time in Sydney."

A second wave of athletes and support crew, including the Wheels Blacks rugby team, leave on Sunday. The last group leave on September 9.

The games run from September 17-28.