New Zealand swimmer Sophie Pascoe made a splash as a 15-year-old at the last Paralympic Games with four medals, and 13-year-old Nikita Howarth harbours similar ambitions this time around.
Howarth will be the youngest New Zealander to compete at a Paralympic Games. The New Zealand management team are mindful of the risks that come with that.
"We just try and make it as normal as possible, don't go out there and expect it to be quiet, it's going to be noisy, just get out there and do your thing, try and get into the zone and do the things you've been working at," New Zealand Paralympic swim coach Simon Mayne said. "The water's the water, the lane ropes are the same. There are just going to be a few more people and she's just got to go out there and do her best."
Howarth is a shy, young, teenager but once she slips into the pool her demeanour changes in an instant. She's focused, determined and ready for everything that's coming her way.
Mayne remembers taking Pascoe to her first world championship event in Durban in 2006, when she won bronze, and can already see the similarities. "That was the start, where she got the hunger for it and I can see Nikita doing the same," he said. "We're really hoping we can get her a medal and spring board from there and next time go for a few more events.
