- I would not have experienced what I have in the last three years if I hadn't had my arm amputated. I'd done Coast to Coast in February this year. The race organisers said I could do the run and the bike solo, but when it came to the 70K kayak section, they would like me to be in a double kayak, because, obviously, there's no ambulances along the side of the Waimak River, right? I want to do Coast to Coast again, but this time, kayaking the whole event solo. (PENSIVE ELECTRONIC MUSIC) Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2021 (UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC) Come on, it's starting to get harder now. - Go! Go! - Nice work, guys. - Go, team! - Go, team! - Let's go, team! Let's go! 'I'm Shaz ` Shaz Dagg ` and I live in the Manawatu, in Feilding.' I was born in Taupo, but moved to the Manawatu in my teens and never gone back. You got this, girls. Come on. Dig it in. 'I just want to encourage people to get motivated.' Well done, guys. 'This is my fourth year with the CACTUS Programme.' Look at you go. 'Youth do military style exercises and get pushed.' - MAN: Left, right! Left, right! Left, right! - 'It's run by the police, and the air force take the PT sessions.' Jump on that. Make the team. Come on. Make it look like you're getting there. Come on. - Pull! (ALL YELL) - 'I'm there as, like, their mentor.' Dig in. Dig in. Dig in! If they can see this one-winged old chook doing it, hopefully it inspires them, right? - Pull! Pull! (ALL YELL) - Jeez! I'm not sitting on your lap! (LAUGHS) (WHISTLE TRILLS, BOTH LAUGH) (GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC) Morning, girls. How are ya? (CHICKENS CLUCK SOFTLY) Come on. 'In my everyday routine, I've just got in and carried on with life as normal. 'I have challenges every day that I come across, thinking, "How am I going to do that?" 'Um, I find a way to adapt to do things, and that's what I love.' Just love life, especially love my journey with Stumpy. Would never, ever turn the clock back. It's been the best journey of my life since I had, um, yeah, my arm removed. (WARM SYNTH MUSIC) I had a farm accident. I was working on a goat farm where we used to milk about 900 goats. This particular day, I was closing this gate, and a freak gust of wind just picked me up and the gate and slammed me. Unfortunately, my left arm was in between the post and the gate, which resulted in two major breaks. Both my radial and ulna ` they were completely snapped. Unfortunately, I didn't go to theatre that night. I kept getting bumped for five days. After nine surgeries in 11 days, I was left with a gaping hole which they could not close, so I was sent to Hutt where they'd done a skin graft. So, from there onwards, my arm used to just sit here like this, and it was useless. So I made this decision one day; I wanted it removed. I wanted to move forward with my life. (PENSIVE ELECTRONIC MUSIC) It was just such a relief to see it gone. And I knew that from there on, I had an awesome journey ahead of me. I needed to find something to help with my recovery, so that's why I turned to triathlon. (WARM GUITAR MUSIC) I got to do some amazing racing overseas, then COVID hit. So that's when I thought, 'What next?' I had to look and find something that I hadn't done before. (PUFFS) I knew that I can bike and I could run, so what else could I throw in the mix? And then it was, 'Try the multi-sport thing.' Coast to Coast. Throw in a kayak. How are you going to kayak, Shaz? So that was the new challenge. Hey. - Hey, mate. How are we going? - Good, mate. How are you? - Good, good. - Been a while. - Yeah. You ready for it? - Bit nervous, but yeah. We've got to do it at some stage, right? 'I thought, "How do I start this stupid, ridiculous idea that I've just put in my head?"' You reckon I'll be able to lift this by myself? - You, uh, managed everything else so far. - 'So I just Googled "Manawatu Kayak Club."' Brett's name popped up. Just jump in, you reckon? - Jump in. See where they sit. - 'So I just rang him and said, "Hey, is there anyone around here that can help me?" 'And Brett took the challenge on.' So, this is a silicon socket that goes over Stumpy, which I then screw my socket into,... which will enable me to... pull Stumpy into my socket. 'I am clamped on to my paddle. 'The limb centre made me a fantastic socket.' From here, I have to place this on. It is not a pleasant experience by any means. So, this is the painful section... of putting it on. 'And then we had to come up with some sort of adaption that we could put Stumpy, attached, on to the paddle.' So, all Brett's done here is he's just put on a piece of PVC pipe. - So that we've got a rotation point. My natural wrist rotation could be like that. Obviously, Shaz doesn't have that, so that makes up for it. And then the control's done with her right hand. - 'Brett randomly got something off the shelf, 'and with two $1 rubber O-rings, Stumpy's attached to the paddle.' Real good Kiwi ingenuity right there. (GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC) And that's how we've managed to get through our first Coast to Coast in the duo kayak. Now, I'm going to go and learn to kayak solo. Are you coming in? - No. - Yes, you are. I'm not going without you. 'So, this is my first time in the kayak solo.' (CHUCKLES) Oh, mate. OK. - Grab that blade, and how does that feel? You gonna help me get in? - Get in yourself. What am I meant to do? Get closer to me. I feel like I'm out here and I'm going to drown. 'So, all that weight on the end of Stumpy and on my arm `' having to bring it round is all sitting on the end of my bone, which is right there. In the 70K kayak, it's very painful. There was a lot of times when Brett didn't know that I was crying in the back because I was in so much pain. Stumpy just didn't like the situation. - And relax. Relax in your hips if you feel like you're going to fall out. - Nothing's relaxed at the moment, mate. - Nothing's relaxed. - (LAUGHS) - 'The battle last year was how far we could go without me knowing what the pain was like.' Shaz doesn't really tell you to stop very often. She just keeps going, so... (CHUCKLES) So, yeah. That as well. We've just got to factor in that it could be hurting. - I probably have to be more honest with Brett around that area. You're trying to put me into the eel. - 'I'll be there in a second boat. We'll still take our time. Getting, say, 20 Ks into the paddle and realising it's going to be too much for Shaz ` that'd be pretty heartbreaking. So that's where we've got to figure out how to get through it. - Come here. We done it. - (PUFFS) - We done it. - How was that? - Yeah, really good. Really good. Pleased it's over. - When are we going again? - Tomorrow. - Tomorrow? - I've achieved a lot since my accident, and I would never turn the clock back. It's been the best journey of my life, and I'm still looking forward to pushing myself further. Thanks, mate. - Excellent. No worries. - Awesome. (CHATTER, LAUGHTER) - ALL: Hooray! - Hip hip! - Hooray! - Hip hip! - Hooray! - Happy birthday, mate. - It's your bowel screening test. I've done mine. - WOMEN: Me too! - And it's free! Uso, you've got this! - # There's a screening here tonight. # Pull the stick from the test. Put it in the poo. # Just follow the pictures. It's easy to do. - Koro! You can 'poo' it! - # Don't delay or procrastinate. # Put it in the post. Send it away. # Early detection can save the day. (ALL CHEER) # There's a screening # here tonight. # - ALL: Oh yeah! (REFLECTIVE GUITAR MUSIC) - Swimming is not my favourite discipline, shall we say, but I do believe it is good to help with some of my recovery. It's good for Stumpy because it's giving Stumpy that connection with something rubbing past it, which is all part of helping with the pain that I suffer. (MUSIC CONTINUES) The pain that I have is a constant pain. It's with me 24/7. It's called CRPS, which is complex regional pain syndrome. Yeah, it's a horrible pain. Just thinking about it elevates the pain, and I know that sounds silly, but it does. Plus, I have severe phantom pain. My hand is still sitting here. That arm ` it's locked in a certain position and it's just firing continuously with electric shock. (PENSIVE GUITAR MUSIC) It's horrible. It's bloody horrible. 'So what helps me is keeping busy ` 'um, having a focus. 'I'm actually doing some gym work; stuff that I never thought I'd really do.' Good morning. - Hey, mate. - Is this what we got today? - Full-body session today. - OK. - Yeah. - 'I'm doing the programme at the moment with a young lady. 'All these things are new, so it's good.' - How are you from last session? - Not bad. Not bad. - Yeah? - I didn't realise how much weaker I was actually on the left-hand side because the right-hand side is compensating and doing all the work. 'So, yeah, we're really starting to work on strengthening and my positioning 'and just staying... aligned, really.' I feel completely unbalanced, eh? (BOTH CHUCKLE) Do I look it? - With Shaz, we're doing muscular endurance. We've figured out that most of it's just a mind game and we're just getting her to be aware that we need to start involving that side more. 'She's always in a good, positive attitude, always willing to do anything. 'She tries it before saying no. 'Even if you're telling her, "Hmm, maybe that's not a good idea," she's like "Nah, one more!" You have to be the one to pull her back. (CHUCKLES) Yeah, she's just that determined. - I didn't think I'd be able to do a lot of what Sha's getting me to do. But we're getting there. Yeah. - Think about trying to engage... and involve these muscles on this side. - I don't ask for help. My husband, Owen, will tell you that. He's such a gem. He really cares for me and he will always try and help. But I have had to say to him, 'Please step back and let me do what I need to do. 'If I need help, I will ask you.' We set up a little coffee cart here once we moved back from Turangi. - 'On a Saturday morning, we do the Saturday morning rugby. (COFFEE MACHINE WHIRRS) 'Turn it on here early, 'get it all up and running.' Should be all good. 'And, yeah, hope for a good day, eh?' We really enjoy supporting them. - Yeah. - And, um,... if they haven't got enough money, she seems to give things away. - (LAUGHS) As you do, right? Well, they're really cute. They've played their game. They've come and shown me how muddy they are, and that's what it's all about. Yeah. - She rewards the ones that get the dirtiest. - (CHUCKLES) - It really pleases the parents, eh (?) (BOTH CHUCKLE) - Nah, it's very cool. - I'd better butter this. - 'Owen always tends to worry about me, and that's only because we love one another. We're best mates.' He's my rock. One cappa? (INDISTINCT CHATTER, WHISTLE TRILLS) How's your week been? - Not too bad. - (CHUCKLES) 'It's just a fun atmosphere here. 'Owen makes the coffees and I serve the customers.' Large one? Any sugar? Watching the little kids play Rippa in their little shorts and their big boots and their long socks ` it's really, really cute. Oh, nice one! (CHUCKLES) What are we having, Dad? - We enjoy coming here, enjoying the kids, and I think they do cos they seem to get a lot of marshmallows. I go through a lot of those. - Would you like a marshmallow? - Somebody must give them away, I think (!) - There you go. Bye! (CHUCKLES) 'Really, really special community.' - What was the name? - Pete. - Pete. (HAPPY UKULELE MUSIC FADES) I don't wear a socket 99% of the time at the moment because of my severe pain levels. If anything was touched on my arm or anything placed on my arm, it just sends me in horrendous pain. (BICYCLE WHIRRS) I just want to be treated just like everybody else. I may look different, but I... I am normal. 'There's nothing wrong with me, 'but pain.' (BREATHES HEAVILY) (SNIFFS) (BREATHES HEAVILY) 'Pain is a huge factor. 'It's horrible. It really is, 'and I can see how it can drag some people down.' (BREATHES HEAVILY) (BICYCLE WHIRRING SLOWS) 'But the pain makes me stronger, makes me more determined.' (PUFFS, SNIFFS) 'I'm not going to let it beat me.' (SNIFFS, INHALES SHARPLY) Sorry. 'I have a special saying ` it's "Don't give in. It comes from within."' And I say that to myself all the time when I'm struggling. (ALL YELP) 'And I've taken that forward to the CACTUS youth, and a lot of them have used the same saying.' Nice. Nice work. It's what's in here. (YOUTH CHANT) Nice work, team. 'You see them working as a team, you see them caring about one another, helping one another.' Let's put it in and let's get to the top, eh? You ready? Can you do it, guys? - YOUTH: Yes! - Right. 'The growth is massive from the first day to the last day. - ALL CHANT: Left, right! Left, right! - I just like to see them push themselves, but I like to see them succeed. Don't give in. It'll come from within. - Hey! - Hey, mate. How are ya? - How are ya? - Good, good, good. - Haven't seen you for ages. - I know. God, it seems like that. 'Helen is quite a dominant person in the community. 'She's our local mayor for Manawatu District Council,' but also a huge support in what she does for me. - Last time I talked to you, you were waiting for your kayak. Have you got it? - Well, look at that. - Oh, wow! - How cool is that? - That is magic. - He even sent me another message last night ` 'How would you feel about having this?' - (GASPS) - And I said, 'Love it.' - Yeah, I do too. That is` I tell ya. (BOTH CHUCKLE) - 'Helen is a huge supporter and has always been a huge supporter 'and has supported whatever I've wanted to do.' - We just clicked, and so we've become really good friends. You know, she's said, 'How about you come with me to Coast to Coast?' And I just jumped at it. I had no idea what I was letting myself into. - How do you feel about doing it again ` being support crew? - Oh, yeah. Can't wait. Can't wait. It's great. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great fun. It was hard work. - Yeah. - It was full-on. Um... 'She's highly driven. She has a goal she wants to get to, and there's just been one hurdle after another, 'and for most people, they'd just walk away.' But not Shaz. She'd have her downtime, and then, boom, she'd be back and she'd go for it again, and she just saw each of those challenges ` just another mountain to climb and carry on. (RELAXED GUITAR MUSIC) - Obviously, I can't drive a manual. (ENGINE REVS) I'd be pretty impressive if I could. To be on the safe side, we went automatic. At the moment, we're going to head to Wellington to the artificial limb centre. I was down there two weeks ago where they're starting to look at different ideas. We've got the kayak adaption plus my arm, and we'll see what they want to do today with us. I cannot thank these guys enough for what they've done for me over the last three years. Just incredible. Very, very supportive. (MUSIC CONTINUES) The limb centre is wanting to work with me to help design another adaption and then get it 3D printed. So I'm the guinea pig for anybody else that is an amputee that would like to have a go at kayaking. - So, Shaz, do you want to talk me through what worked and what didn't with the current design? And just about can get an idea of what we wanted to do differently and what we want to keep. - Yeah. So, um, it's an awesome design, but we've had to modify this quite a bit, so we'd probably need to remake another socket that's going to fit more suitably, because at the end of the 70K kayak, I had quite a few sores, so, obviously, I'm not fitting in it right or I'm fitting in it` or I'm pulling myself in too far. I don't know, Otto, if you've got any ideas around this part as to whether we have something spinning down here, because this is just locked on and that's the position. So when I'm kayaking, it's just full back, and it's just up and over. - You're making a lot of compensatory moves to accommodate no elbow and bend there. - Right. - You basically want a universal joint in there so it's got pivot as well as bending. - The beauty of the position we're in now is that we've got 12 months to get you to Coast to Coast. - 10 now. Counting down. - (LAUGHS) - I know, right? - No pressure (!) No pressure (!) - I know. It's going quick. It's going very quick. (AIRY ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) My biggest task at the moment is getting into the kayak on the moving water. So, on Sunday, I'm going to go up the Rangitikei River. Yeah, pretty bloody scared, to be honest. It's a nervous, exciting scary. (FOREBODING GUITAR MUSIC) So we're at Awastone Adventure Camp with Paul. Paul's taking me through my grade two certification. You must be able to kayak safely down the grade two rapids. If you do not pass your grade two, you cannot do the event. It even sounds fast. (WATER GUSHES) Looks scary. - You see the flows join and create that single line. - Yeah. - Get into the dead water as quick as you can, because generally, that's recirculating. - OK. - Where the water joins into one flow, there's little eddies. - Yep. Getting nervous now. Yep. My main aim is to survive. I'm going to learn to... fall out and try and get myself to the, um, side, and Bret's main aim is to retrieve the kayak. - What we'll do is... you're going to get out into that current, because you want to go down into that rapid, so you'll be getting into the whitewater swim position. - OK. - So just be on your back, facing downstream. (UPLIFTING PIANO MUSIC) - To see the boat floating away was a bit of a weird feeling. I gotta admit ` I was very apprehensive and nervous to start with, but seeing how... I was just to leave the boat alone and just concentrate on myself, and then seeing Bret down there collecting it and it all coming together as one piece ` yeah, it was quite a cool moment to see it all happening, actually. (MUSIC CONTINUES) - Nice, mate. Easy as pie. - Just seeing the whole thing played out ` yeah, I feel so much better now, knowing what's actually happening further on down the track. (UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC) - ALL: Cheers. - Cheers, mate. - Well done. - Cheers to the next one. - Cheers, Jess. Thanks for today, mate. 'I'm extremely proud of what I've achieved, and I can't thank Bret enough for what he's doing. 'To come back this year ` it's a huge ask of anyone, but I also thank his wife and family. 'Jess, his wife, is awesome. She's one of my support crew along with Helen. 'I'm very, very lucky for the support that I have, and without that support, 'I don't think I would be able to do it.' Here we go. 2022. - Yeah, absolutely. - 'No matter what we're going through, we can achieve things if we really want to, 'and it depends on what our "why" is,' and my 'why' is just because I want to promote awareness that just because we're challenged doesn't mean to say we can't achieve things. (HOPEFUL GUITAR MUSIC) Captions by Cameron Grigg. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air.