Rawiri’s dedication pays off

Rawiri’s dedication pays off

Rawiri Tristram-Brown’s alarm clock goes off early. Very early.

That’s because the 16-year-old swimmer hits the pool at 5.30am to train before school. He gobbles down his favourite breakfast – scrambled eggs – and he’s out the door.

Despite being restricted to a wheelchair, most days he’s back in the pool again after school, sticking to a strict training regime. His dedication has not gone unnoticed, helping him gain selection for a New Zealand swimming team that will compete at a Melbourne event next month. 

“Yeah, I’m busy. But I really enjoy it,” he says.

Ever since he was a toddler Rawiri has loved the pool. He’s been swimming competitively for 12 years.

The Horowhenua College student belongs to the Ōtaki Titans swimming club. Clubmates Lucas Robins, 15, and Noah Ireland-Spicer, 19, have also qualified for Melbourne.

“It’s amazing for a small club to have three of us selected,” he says, praising coach John Winter.

Rawiri’s other passion is wheelchair basketball. He plays in Palmerston North and once a month gets to trains with the NZ Roller Blacks team.

“That’s cool. I love basketball,” he says.

One sport is complementing the other. The upper body strength he gets from swimming has translated to strength and speed on the court.

“The swimming does really help with strength. You do notice it,” he says.  

He was grateful for the support he received from people like Manawatū multi-sport athlete Shaz Dagg, who helped sponsor a wheelchair enabling him to play basketball.

Rawiri was born with spina bifida – an incomplete closing of the backbone and membranes around the spinal cord – which meant he required continuous surgery throughout his childhood.

Basic daily tasks that most people take for granted are a challenge, yet his biggest assets – his attitude and perseverance – see him doing more and competing in more sports than most able-bodied people.

Rawiri credits his success to his family, particularly his grandparents Mabel Tasker and Roy Freegard.

They had been his guardians since he was 4 and were the ones who first took him to the pool.

“I’d like to thank my granddad for driving me to my competitions and my grandmother for helping me get ready. I owe a lot to them.”

He says he enjoys meeting new people and challenging himself, and his achievement are getting noticed.

Last year at the Manawatū Sport Champions awards he was the Champion Male Athlete with Disabilities Student Athlete. He also received a Horowhenua District Council Youth Excellence Award at the council’s Civic Awards ceremony, and was named Wheelchair Basketball NZ division 2 defensive player of the year.