ON THIS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, PARALYMPIC CHAMPION DAME SOPHIE PASCOE REFLECTS ON RESILIENCE, LEGACY, AND WHY IMPACT MATTERS MORE THAN MEDALS.
Dame Sophie Pascoe is more than a Paralympic champion. She’s a role model and an advocate for women in sport, embodying strength, purpose and influence
IT TAKES COURAGE
On the podium at the 2008 Paralympic Games, a 15-year-old Dame Sophie Pascoe stood proud as the national anthem played. In the crowd, her father, a man not known for showing emotion, wept. For Dame Sophie Pascoe, that moment was about far more than a gold medal. It was about rewriting a story that had begun with trauma.
At two and a half years old, Sophie lost her left leg below the knee in a lawnmower accident along with causing muscle and nerve damage to her right leg. But she was never raised feeling defined by her disability. There was no difference in how she and her older sister were bought up. If she couldn’t do something the same way as her peers, she was encouraged to find another way.
SWIMMING WAS THE WAY FORWARD
That attitude followed her to the school pool in Christchurch. Swimming began as fun – splashing around during primary school lessons. One sports day she beat her best friend in a race. “She had all her limbs, and I loved that feeling of winning.”
Her parents sought out ways to get her involved in disability sport, connecting with Parafed Canterbury and the CCS Independence Games (then called the Children’s Crippled Society Games). Sophie tried swimming, cycling and running. But swimming was the one that stuck.
Soon after, she was spotted by Paralympian Graham Condon, who introduced her to coach Roly Crichton at the QE2 Swim Club. When they told her she could one day represent New Zealand, the dream of wearing the silver fern took hold immediately.
“I had to work my way up from swimming at the back of the lane, to getting to the top and leading the lane. That took years of progression and enjoyment of being in a club environment where I was never looked at any differently.”
UNSTOPPABLE, YET HUMBLE
She was the only disabled athlete in her squad. She started at the end of the lane and worked her way to the front. Nothing was handed to her. Even as her career gathered pace with 7 gold medals at the Australian National Junior Disabled Games at 11, a World Championship bronze at 13.
“Beijing 2008 was meant to be a stepping stone to London 2012. Instead, it became A breakthrough,” Sophie shares. Three gold medals, a silver and a world record later, the teenager was earning the recognition that came with her success.
But the moment that defined her career wasn’t the medal tally. It was locking eyes with her father in the stands.
“I had changed the image he lives with from the day of the accident to that of a world champion. This is what has defined my whole journey. My why has always been to make my parents, my friends, and my family proud, as well as myself.”
THE POWER OF SPORT
Her fierce competitiveness in the pool, balanced by a humble, grounded nature off it, fuelled by the power of sport, became her driving ‘why.’ The highs and lows were all part of the journey, but making others feel proud through her achievements became the driving force. While her career glittered with medals, it was also marked by losses and deeply personal disappointments. Over time, she discovered a vital truth: she didn’t have to win to be worthy of love.
“I was always worth more than gold medals.” Looking back, she still feels proud of the understanding she gained about the power of sport, how it makes people feel and the integrity she carried throughout her journey.
Today, Sophie speaks about legacy with humility. She sees it in athletes like Anna Grimaldi, part of a new wave of Paralympic champions carrying the torch forward. For Sophie, it’s a full-circle moment- from being a pioneer to proud supporter of the next generation.
“To uplift someone else’s life, that’s the infinity cycle. Generation to generation, athlete to athlete. It’s humbling and rewarding to be part of somebody’s journey and help change life for the better.”
PRIDE AND WOMEN POWER
In a world where minorities often have to fight to be seen, she believes women; especially disabled women find strength in unity. “I’m proud to be a woman. I’m proud to be a para woman,” she says.
For Sophie, International Women’s Day is about exactly that – using your voice and your platform for the greater good. It’s about recognising you have a place. It’s about pride, and women cheering for women.
As a proud woman and para woman, her message to the next generation of female para-athletes is simple: dream big. “Surround yourself with people who challenge and uplift you. Recognise that your power goes beyond your field of play,” she says.
Because while medals may shine, it is the impact that lasts. And sometimes, the greatest victory can be the difference you make, and the way women lead the way by lifting each other up.
