Team Waikato at the World Summer Games. (Back): Assistant swimming coach Nicky Johnson, equestrian coach Kara Lockhart, football player Kyle Scandlyn and powerlifting coach Bryce Johnsen. (Front): Football player Finn McNally, swimmer Matthew Smith and basketball coach Simone Kokaua. Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand
Team Waikato at the World Summer Games. (Back): Assistant swimming coach Nicky Johnson, equestrian coach Kara Lockhart, football player Kyle Scandlyn and powerlifting coach Bryce Johnsen. (Front): Football player Finn McNally, swimmer Matthew Smith and basketball coach Simone Kokaua. Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand
The New Zealand Special Olympics team has successfully conquered the World Summer Games in Berlin, bringing home a record 34 medals.
Team New Zealand won five gold, 17 silver and 12 bronze medals across six disciplines.
One of the medallists is Te Awamutu swimmer Matthew Smith, who won bronze with his 4x25-metre freestyle relay teammates Jesse Williams of Manawatū, Haven Drinnan from North Canterbury and Bella Lammers of Selwyn.
The New Zealand 3x3 unified basketball team, led by Hamiltonian Simone Kokaua, only missed a spot on the podium by seconds, placing fourth, while the football team, including Hamiltonians Finn McInally and Kyle Scandlyn, placed fifth.
In the bronze medal match against Kenya, the New Zealand 3x3 unified basketball team just fell short in the final 20 seconds of the game after leading 14-13.
This year was the first time New Zealand had fielded a unified basketball team, meaning the team is made up of players with and without an intellectual disability, and Kokaua says she could not be prouder of her team.
“It’s all part of the learning.”
The New Zealand Special Olympics swimming relay team: Jesse Williams and Haven Drinnan (both back), Bella Lammers and Matthew Smith (front). Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand
Despite placing fifth overall, the New Zealand football team has also been on the field writing history. The team was New Zealand’s first to win a match against Austria at the World Summer Games.
Powerlifter Ryan Stewart from Dunedin was the first New Zealand athlete to claim a medal. He ended up winning not one, but four silver medals, a feat replicated by his teammate Caroline Tangitau of Katikati.
Levin bocce player Aaron Campbell was the first athlete to claim a gold medal for New Zealand, followed by Auckland golfer Mitch Brown, Taranaki sprinter Melissa Cash, 10-pin bowler Len Just of Tauranga, and Invercargill powerlifter Lynett Williams.
In total, the New Zealand delegation of 39 athletes and 22 support staff joined 7000 other athletes with an intellectual disability from 190 countries in competing across 10 days. Hundreds of thousands of fans watched the competition in the famous Olympia Stadion and other venues.
The New Zealand Special Olympics 3x3 basketball team, with head coach Simone Kokaua (front left) and (from left) Laura Montgomery (Hutt Valley), Nathan Winkelman (Canterbury), Hayden Wilson (Manawatū), Unified partner Reuben Tearle (Counties) and 3x3 coach Wi Te Pou (Counties). Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand
The Kiwi athletes competed across nine sports: athletics, swimming, bocce, equestrian, football, basketball, golf, powerlifting and 10-pin bowling.
Head of delegation Rowena Massey says while the 34 medals are an important recognition, Special Olympics New Zealand also focuses on improvements, like personal bests.
“We just want our athletes to perform to their best ability, try their best and have fun,” Massey says.
“Medal counts don’t always tell the full story. We also look at athletes like our swimmers who ended up with two bronze medals, but smashed personal bests every day in the pool and gave some top swimmers a real run for their money.”
Special Olympics World Summer Games gold medallist Mitch Brown, of Auckland, is lifted by sister Aimee (right) and her partner Kyron at the Bad Saarow golf course in Berlin. Photo / Special Olympics New Zealand
Massey says this year’s World Summer Games have taken the event to “the next level”.
“Special Olympics definitely moved away from the fringes where the disability sector historically was allowed to play their games, out of the spotlight, but now that people are taking notice, they recognise the fantastic athletes in our team and the amazing courage and commitment they display in every event.”
She says for many athletes, the competition was also life-changing on a personal level.
“I can see how much confidence and independence the athletes have developed during this trip. That confidence translates into better community engagement, employment, education and making friends, and those rewards are much longer-lasting than any medal.”
