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Milldale resident Mitch Joynt is back home and focused on his dream of a spot in next year’s Paralympics.
Joynt had his right leg amputated below the knee 10 years ago, following a wood chipper accident. He has been sprinting competitively for six years.
At the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris in July, the 28-year-old broke an Oceania record with a time of 23.32 to finish third in the 200m T64. (HM July 24). The placing guarantees a slot for NZ at this event in next year’s Paris Paralympics – Mitch’s selection awaits final confirmation by Paralympics NZ.
“If I end up being a Paralympian for New Zealand, there’s not many things I’ve wanted more than that. It’s something I’d cherish for the rest of my life,” Joynt says.
Meanwhile, he is happy to be back working with his coach, Hamish Meacheam.
The pair want to see more people put their hand up to coach people with a disability and they are right behind a new initiative launched by Paralympics NZ.
Called LevelUp, it is a series of online modules for sports coaches, funded by ACC.
The modules are designed to help coaches gain the skills and confidence to coach disabled athletes.
Meacheam says it is a much-needed toolkit for learning how to coach people with a disability.
Meacheam first spotted Joynt when he completed the Auckland Marathon in 2017, and has played a huge role in his progress since. However, he says he and Mitch made a lot of mistakes along the way so, for any coaches looking to support Para athletes and potential para-athletes, LevelUp will help reduce those errors.
Paralympics NZ chief executive, Greg Warnecke, says LevelUp is an important resource for the sector. It is free and accessible and you can learn in your own time, at your own pace.
“It removes a barrier that has stopped disabled people from being able to participate in sport,” he says. “The initiative has been borne out of coaches telling us that they are scared of doing the wrong thing, or they don’t know how to coach disabled athletes. LevelUp will help them coach effectively and creatively – and most importantly give them the confidence to include everyone,” he says.
The programme consists of modules – once you complete the first two, there are seven additional impairment specific modules.
Disability Sport Auckland figures show there are currently around 250 of its members taking part in disability sport in Auckland.
Info: https://paralympics.org.nz/levelup/
