Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2024 - Tonight on Sunday ` her achievements are legendary, but this is Dame Lisa Carrington as you've never seen her before. - READS: 'I'm nervous. I'm scared. What am I learning about myself?' - The pressure... - The stakes are just so high. You know, it's really sometimes a 'now or never'. - ...the public persona... - I'm different. I look a bit different. You know, I'm still kind of working it out a bit. - ...and the plan. - I want to be more than just a kayaker or an Olympian. - And our Pacific neighbours fighting back the tide. - Your land consumed by the ocean you love. - Yeah. That's the end of Tuvalu. - The present is concerning... - When the tide comes up, comes up through the island. - ...the future scary. - 95% of this island is underwater just by daily tide. - Could this outlandish effort save the country? - So it looks like you're almost doubling the existing island. - They're more than` more than doubling. - Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. She's New Zealand's sporting superstar. Dame Lisa Carrington is our most successful Olympian ` a record haul of five gold medals and 15 world championship titles. Now she has the Paris Games in her sights. But who's the woman behind the wins? Fearless and fearful, serious and relaxed, public and private. Tonight, we have special access to Lisa Carrington's inner circle. Here's Guy Heveldt with this Sunday exclusive. - GUY HEVELDT: These books hold Lisa Carrington's most personal thoughts ` line after line, year after year. Opening these journals means shutting out the noise. - ARCHIVE: Nothing less than you would expect. - Lisa Carrington, Olympic champion! (CHEERING, HORN HONKS) - Another gold! - It's something to help me focus, to understand my thoughts, my feelings. READS: 'I'm nervous that I'll struggle to come down off this. 'I'm scared.' - A reminder of where she's been... - 'Halfway through, I was... 'wrecked.' - ...and who she wants to be. - 'What am I learning about myself?' I want to be more than just a kayaker or an Olympian. I'm a bit more than just the performances. (INSECTS CHIRP) (DOG BARKS) - Up before dawn, (CONTEMPLATIVE MUSIC) ...coffee a flat white, ...jotting down her thoughts. It's the same routine every morning. (INDICATOR TICKS) - I try not to get there too early so that it doesn't force everyone to get there early. (INSECTS CHIRP) - This is the Lisa we know, the elite athlete preparing for her fourth Olympics. - WOMAN: And I was like, 'Oh my gosh!' - Oh? Are you afraid? (LAUGHS) - On the water, she's the poster girl with the infectious laugh. Off the water, she's kept her personal life private... - (CHUCKLES) - ...until now. - (LAUGHS) (BREEZY MUSIC) - The lone Halberg Award in her living room is the only sign of Lisa's success. - Ooh. Sticky. - No trainers here. It's Sunday, so that means pizza for lunch. - Nice. Oh, look at those bubbles. - This is Lisa's husband, Michael, but she doesn't call him that. - Do you wanna make the next one? (HINGE CREAKS) - And we can't either. He prefers Bucky. - It'd be very weird if she called me Michael. - Does that happen? - (LAUGHS) - I've never` I'm never naughty enough. (LAUGHS) - Colin the cavoodle? He's just Colin. - Lisa and Bucky got together at a party about 15 years ago. - I was probably quite taken by her smile, her laugh and her eyes. Our first date was a coffee in Takapuna, and she left me waiting for about 45 minutes because of trainings. - I guess he knew what he was in for. (LAUGHS) - Oh. Nice. - It, um, reminds me of when we're in Italy and that cool as pizzeria place. - Up on the hill. - How far along the track did you kind of realise that he was the one for you? - The one? - Yeah. - (LAUGHS) - I bought the ring probably six years before I actually got down on one knee. - Whilst I always knew that we would get married, it was kind of all about when it was the right time. - There were a couple of moments where I thought, 'This would have been perfect ` if only I bought the ring.' - (LAUGHS) - Every moment we were going out, just the two of us, I thought, 'Oh my God, this is it.' - (LAUGHS) No. Not yet. (LAUGHS) - Eventually, it was it. - Did you know Bucky was going to propose? - Yes. (CHUCKLES) I did. - Fiona Hastie's known Bucky since they were teenagers. - So, I think it's official ` I was Bucky's friend first. Um... (CHUCKLES) and that's important. - She was their celebrant in 2022. - To be able to stay focused and connected to something for that long, you need a really good support network, and Bucky's a fundamental part of that. Someone that understands her and understands it, you know, so well. He's such a unique human in that way. - Any friend of Bucky's is a friend of hers. - We ended up flatting together. It was just after the London Olympics. - ARCHIVE: Lisa Carrington! Lisa Carrington! Gold medal! (CHEERING, HORN HONKS) - It was her first. - I remember really, really vividly when they came home from London ` there was, uh... (CHUCKLES) Olympic rings that were, like, wrapped up in electrical tape, the right colours, - (CHUCKLES) - ...and they were on the wall as you walked in the front door. And, um, we as a flat decided that we would fill their bedroom with gold and black balloons and then shut the door, and they got home at probably 2 in the morning to, arguably, what we thought was the best thing ever, but probably kind of annoying when all you wanted to do was just go to sleep. (LAUGHS) - I just remember, um, the bunch of the boys just diving on them, popping them, and yeah, it was fun. - Dame Lisa is now our most successful Olympian. - Does she... show off, for want of a better term, the medals? Like, are they... - LAUGHS: No. - All right. - No. When you get out of bed at 3 in the morning and you're watching her paddle on the other side of the world, of course you recognise that she's this exceptionally talented athlete, but day-to-day, she's just... She's just like you and me. You know? (GENTLE COUNTRY GUITAR MUSIC) - Fiona lives north of Auckland on her family farm in Kaiwaka. (COW MOOS) A qualified vet nurse... - Come on. Good girl. Get up. ...Fiona says she bonded with Lisa over their love of dogs and baking. - Creaming cupcakes. That's my first memory of probably quality time with Lisa. - I love food. Food tastes good. (LAUGHS) - All right, so what are we picking today? - We're into the feijoas, autumn feijoas. - And, um... are you and Lisa competitive when it comes to cooking? - Nah, not really. I'm not really the competitive one. (BOTH LAUGH) - Is she a calm cook? Or has she got a bit of Gordon Ramsay about her? - (LAUGHS) Um... I would say` I would say she's a calm cook, quite focused, but she can definitely go off-script. Mm. - That's kind of interesting, because she doesn't go off-script paddling-wise. - No, I think you're right. (CHOPPING) - I feel like she's got a real talent in terms of taste and what can kind of go together. - Mmm. - (BLOWS AIR GENTLY) - Hoh! - Lise typically will make this thing called elephant dung. It is, like, cheesy, spinachy, cream-cheesy, oniony goodness. - Yeah, this is a little recipe that my mum gave me. Most people love it cos it's just... cheese. - (CHUCKLES) - (CHUCKLES) - (CRUNCHES) Very good. - You were gonna go double-dip, weren't you? - Look, I was thinking about it, yeah. - (LAUGHS) - Lisa says she has been judged for what she eats. - I was eating an ice cream as a, like, 18-year-old, and one of the senior coaches says, 'A second on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.' Like, I still remember it. - Lisa also knows what it's like to be judged for how she looks. - I'm different. I look a bit different. Whether it's, like, 'Wow, the gun show's out,' or 'You look bigger than you were last year,' sometimes I can just have the best perspective and go, 'You know what? I do have muscles. Cool.' Other days I'm like, 'Oh, wow, that really got me in a... in a low moment.' So these are a couple dresses that I have had made for me for the Halberg Awards, which has been really awesome. - But, being naturally shy, Lisa struggles at times being in the public eye. - Yeah. So this is one that I had made strapless, which... I still find... uh, tricky to wear. There are days when comments made me second-guess what I'm wearing. Probably deep down, it's just kind of fear of what people think. What's really awesome is being able to have dresses designed that suit my body and how I feel comfortable. So this other one is a really great example because it's long-sleeve. You know, I'm still kind of working it out a bit. I guess it's when you wear it, you own it. So, yeah, it's probably just a motto for life, really ` to own what you're doing and own what you're wearing. Mm. - Coming up ` the nerves... - I remember having a little chuck in behind the stands. - ...and the pressure. - I didn't feel quite like myself. I was out of kilter. (UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC) - What's the difference between Greek oregano and any other oregano? - (LAUGHS, SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) - It's not gonna go on your Italian pizza, is it? (BOTH LAUGH) I think with Lise and I, we have always enjoyed food, cooking... In the latter years, there's been a little bit of gardening, and particularly vege gardening, cos I'm always a fan of, you know, if you're gonna grow it, you may as well be able to eat it. (TUI SINGS) - Do you have a worm farm, Fio? - Nah, we've just got compost. - Fiona Hastie has known Lisa Carrington for about 15 years... - Ooh... - Oopsies. - ...and officiated at her wedding. - One of the reasons that I decided to become a celebrant was to have a positive impact on people. And that's actually something that Lisa challenged me about many years ago. She sort of was like, 'Well, you know, what's your why? What are you` what are you about?' - (CHUCKLES) - I want to ask you ` - (LAUGHS) - ...what is your why? - What is my why? I think it really sits around how I build the mana of my family, my community, my team. And so what's amazing, I guess, about your why is it can encompass more than just being what you do and kind of acknowledge all aspects of your life, especially through the stages of your life. - Exciting. - And that includes 8-year-old Lisa. - There are things that I have learned, particularly around resilience, and I would love to be able to share those lessons with, you know, kids. You know, some character concepts. - (CHUCKLES) - How's this? - So good. 8-years-old Lisa. - 8 years old. - READS: 'Lean and sprightly.' - Lisa's been working on a children's book about her and Colin, out later this year. Her mum and dad, coach ` they're in it too. - Oh my gosh. (LAUGHS) - BOTH WOMEN: Oh... - But there's one character they weren't expecting. - (LAUGHS) - 8-year-old Bucky. OK. - That is so good. - They've used a bit of creative licence here. Lisa and her husband Bucky didn't know each other as kids, but he was into water sports. - I chose surf club cos it got me out of Sunday school. (LAUGHS) (SEAGULL CRIES) - Bucky went on to become a world champion himself in surf lifesaving, so he understands Lisa's drive, and why some things have had to wait. - Kayaking has been her priority. Every decision we make as a couple, it has to be made with kayaking in mind. So, yeah, that's` that's had its impacts. We both want a family. You know, maybe 20 years ago, thinking about my future, I sort of thought by 40 years old, I'd have a couple of kids and they'd be running around with my mates' kids. So, you know, at times, there's been... been FOMO, maybe. ARCHIVE: ('GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND' PLAYS) - It was sort of things that you'd think about when you'd come up to the end of an Olympic cycle, right? Probably when I look back in 2016, it was too early in our relationship, then 2020 deferred to 2021. Then you've got only three years till the next Olympic campaign. (DETERMINED SYNTH MUSIC) The way I sometimes think about it is, someone could take 40 years to become an expert in their field. For an athlete, they get 10, 15 years, and so then the stakes are just so high. You know? It's really sometimes a 'now or never'. (DETERMINED SYNTH MUSIC) - Gym sessions start with a warm-up. Today ` a bit of a laugh... - (SHRIEKS WITH LAUGHTER) They're really bad. (OVERLAPPING EXCLAMATIONS, LAUGHTER) - ...but that's rare. Lisa trains six days a week. - I feel the pressure, the expectation, but what I do know is that pressure can bring the best out of me. And heart rate was... actually not too high this week. - Yeah. - It was a bit calmer, which was nice. - On the sidelines for every gold medal win ` her coach, Gordon 'Gordy' Walker. - Last week, you talked about how to start. - Lisa's success is as much about her mental resilience as it is about her physical strength. - There's that hierarchy of needs, and it's, like, food and water, basically belonging, and then self-actualisation. - Mm-hm. - But realising her full potential isn't as easy as she makes it look. - She's just like any of the rest of us. You have good days and you have bad days, right? - Knowing what to say... or not say, is tricky. Certainly, over the years, I've probably said the wrong thing. - There's moments before big races, sometimes I'll be just so afraid of not performing, and I'll call him and I'll get really mad at him for no apparent reason, and I'll put the phone down, and then I'll pick it back up and go, 'I'm sorry.' You know? Like, to have that person that can kind of take and understand, and just be there no matter what. - 'Will our close friends think any different of you? 'Colin doesn't care. I certainly won't.' - He bears the brunt of some of my conversations when I'm absolutely irrational, and picking up the phone to just have someone like Fiona and just be like, 'Hey, how you going?' She might talk about her feijoas, or she'll tell me that she's just fixed a fence. Having people like Fio and Bucky to give me perspective is the best thing. - 34-year-old Lisa will be aiming for a first-time gold in the K4 event in Paris. - That's 4.5 minutes. We're right on. - FIONA: We talk about paddling, but I would say we talk about it at quite a superficial level. Our friendship is beyond that one thing that she does, right? Kind of my responsibility is to remember that she's Lisa. - It doesn't define her. - Doesn't define her. She's still, you know, the girl from Ohope, Bucky's wife, Colin's mum. - I love coming home to Colin, and Bucky. Nah. (LAUGHS) Have to say that. GENTLY: High 10. - Colin understands English and te reo. - OK. Stop. Titiro mai. Ka pai. - Lisa is Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki and Ngati Porou. - Being Maori and representing te ao Maori is important to me. I always have it there, trying to keep it a part of my day as much as I can, or a part of what I do. I think there will be a time where I'll be able to engage in it a little bit more, but absolutely, really important to recognise where I come from. - What does it mean to you to wear the silver fern? - Yeah. From, you know, being a kid and never thinking I'd ever be able to represent New Zealand to, you know, doing it on the biggest stage is really special. - Have you thought about what it's going to be like when you wear it for the last time? (BOTH CHUCKLE) - No, I see it as a huge privilege, and you never know, especially in sport. Every time I wear it, um... I wear it like it is the last time. - The amount of joy, fulfilment and all the experiences that I've had with her have been pretty incredible. - She is New Zealand's most successful Olympian! (CHEERING, HORNS TOOT) - I've learnt that nothing's a sacrifice. It's just a choice. (STAUNCH ELECTRIC GUITAR MUSIC) - I will be really disappointed if I lose. Absolutely. I will be distraught. But at the end of the day, sport's a game. - A game that Lisa knows how to win. - Man, I'm... I'm going to Paris. Just... so motivated, excited. And... yeah, it's gonna be a wicked Olympics. (LAUGHS) - Well, there's fewer than 100 days until the start of the Olympics in July. Lisa and her team-mates leave for Europe this coming Saturday, where they'll continue their build-up. Ka nui te mihi, e te wahine toa ` we're right behind you for another gold medal. E whai ake nei ` imagine an entire country swallowed by the sea. - That's something that we cannot comprehend. - How can we consciously let this happen? - Holding back the tide... - But how often does this happen? - Um... close to this tide, we'll probably get monthly now. - ...with one big idea. - We're keeping a country going, you know? Alright, I'm off! Where are you off to? To get the flu jab. You coming? Nah. I won't get the flu. (QUIRKY MUSIC) Touch wood. (QUIRKY MUSIC CONTINUES) Touch wood! WOMAN: Kia ora! Are you here for the flu jab? Hey. VOICEOVER: - Hoki mai ano. It's paradise, but in just decades, the proud nation of Tuvalu might be gone. Rising sea levels are already swallowing the tiny group of islands with frequent flooding, but its strategic position near Samoa and Fiji has got superpowers scrambling to solve the problem. Now, as Adam Hegarty discovers, an extraordinary feat of engineering could literally hold back the tide. (GENTLE ACOUSTIC GUITAR PLAYS) - ADAM HEGARTY: It's the least visited country on earth, but, looking around, you have to wonder why. Everywhere you turn in Tuvalu looks like a postcard. - There are no mountains, and no hills, and no rivers, and all we've got is the surrounding waters, the ocean. - 11,000 people call this place home. It's a tropical paradise, where life is full of simple joys. ` Hi! - But behind their smiles, there's great sadness and fear, because almost the entire country will be underwater within 50 years. For MP Seve Paeniu, watching his country disappear is heartbreaking. - It's quite sad, really, and it's something that I'm deeply worried about. - Your land consumed by the ocean you love. - Yeah. - That's the end of Tuvalu civilisation, and of Tuvalu culture. That's something that we cannot comprehend. - It's something James Lewis can't comprehend either. - We're going to lose a nation, you know? If Tuvalu goes, who's next? And how can we... consciously let this happen? - The coastal engineer is from the Gold Coast, but Tuvalu has become his second home. He's spent the best part of four years here, contracted by the United Nations to try to protect the country from rising sea levels. Why is Tuvalu so vulnerable? - It's because of its low-lying nature. You're just half a metre, 1m above the sea. You're floating on a raft, basically, (CHUCKLES) but it's made out of sand. So when the tide comes up, comes up through the island, just because it's so low and so close to the edge of the ocean. - Like everyone who lives here, James knows the closeness to the ocean is what makes this place beautiful, but it's also why the country doesn't stand a chance during king tides. Every time the tide rises to more than 1.5m, you'd better get your gumboots, because this pocket of paradise turns into a flood zone. - The crazy thing is that this is not from rain or waves coming over ` this is water coming up through the island. The island's porous, so because the tide's so high, it's coming up through the water table, bubbling up through the road, bubbling up through the island and through people's houses. - We're looking at homes and families cut off. - That's right. This is the main road to access between the north and the south of the island. My house is over there. I can't get through at the moment until the tide goes down. It's crazy. - But how often does this happen? - Um... close to this tide, we'll probably get monthly now, from now on in. When it rains on top of this, it all adds up, so, you know, this is a bluebird day and we're knee-deep in water. - Vai Lameko's house sits right in the middle of the main island as far from the ocean as possible. But still, this is her front yard during a king tide. - Living like this, it's really hard. It damages the house. Sometimes it damages our` especially the bikes and the cars, cos it's corrosive, the seawater. - Are you worried you're going to lose your home? - I am worried. I know these houses have the septic tanks underneath it, and every time the water comes up, if you think about it, standing inside water that you know is contaminated, it's usually not very... like, a good way to live, especially with my baby around. - What Vai worries about the most is the frightening future ahead for her little boy. She fears by the time Theo grows up, there will be hardly anything left of his homeland. James Lewis knows full well it's a valid concern. How much worse is it going to look? - Well, this is 2060. Just under normal tides, no waves, no storms. 50% of the island we're on would be underwater on monthly, daily high tides. - It's not long at all. - No. - Um, we extend that out to 2100, and we're looking at 95% of this island is underwater just by daily tides ` that's without storms, anything else. (MELANCHOLY MUSIC) - It's an unfathomable forecast for the people of Tuvalu, but remarkably, they still have hope. Even though their country is one of the worst hit by rising sea levels, it's also becoming the best example of how the problem can be solved. James helped build the first stage of an incredible project to quite literally keep the main island afloat. - We're keeping a country going, you know? - This is the first stage of the grand plan ` 7.5ha of new land built from the ocean up ` not just as a barrier to stop waves, but also as a platform high enough above the sea to stop water rising up through the ground, causing a flood. - Basically raising the shoreline of 800m of vulnerable coast 2m above the highest tide at the moment, which will keep them flood-free till 2100. - So it looks like a white strip of sand here, but what's` what's underneath there? - Yeah, so, underneath we've got, um, huge megacontainers ` you know, over 100 tons in weight. It looks like big sausages on the reef edge. And then out the front we've got, um, some` some smaller geotextiles to protect them, just in case, um... from nicks or boats or, you know, any flotsam in the area. - At first, no one was sure if it would actually work, but so far it has ` a remarkable engineering feat that's making Cameron Hall and his team very proud. Not the worst place in the world to set up shop and work. - Yeah, Adam, it's certainly a bit of paradise out here. - Over six months, this dredge sucked up sand from the bottom of the lagoon and pumped it through the ocean in pipes up on to the work site. - We had, uh, 40-odd people there, um... dozers, excavators, people building the seawall, the bags. They feel like they're achieving something. They actually feel like they're leaving behind a real legacy and making a difference to the lives of the people. - There's not much work back home where you're saving a country. - Well, that's right. It's interesting to build a road in southeast Queensland, but for them, it's more interesting to, uh... to create land for people that otherwise will have no hope. - The proof it works is undeniable. While the old land is flooded during high tide, the new land looks like a desert. This is your work, doing this job right now? - Yeah, at the moment there, this is the highest tide. We've still got, you know, at least 2m up till the highest point there. Land here is so valuable, and they've just created another 7ha that's dry, flood-free. - But this is only the beginning. The long-term plan is to build enough new land for everyone in Tuvalu so the entire population can move to higher ground. So it looks like you're almost doubling the existing island. - They're more than` more than doubling the existing island, and` But raising it up, it'll incorporate huge new green port facilities, commercial areas, obviously a huge residential area. You're not going to get inundated every day, you know, underneath your floorboards, from water. - Yeah, it's certainly an incredible project. But next ` what's the bill? - ADAM HEGARTY: I don't think you can put a price on saving a country, can you, but how much is all that going to cost? - It's got to be into billions. - MIRIAMA KAMO: And why this isn't just about Tuvalu. - I think Australia, the United States, New Zealand, in that matter, should pay more attention, because the equilibrium's been changed once China comes in. - (LAUGHS) - Nowhere else in the world can you join a soccer match on an international runway. - Oh, they're all on ya! - (LAUGHS) - But in Tuvalu, this is a daily tradition ` one of many the locals are desperate to preserve. as they fight to stop their country vanishing into the ocean because of rising sea levels. - You know, I've grown very close to this community, and I'd hate to see no future for them, or having to move away. You've probably already felt the warmness of the people here and the very unique traditions. Um.... to see that go would be such a shame. (PENSIVE MUSIC) - Coastal engineer James Lewis is working hard to save Tuvalu. He's designed new land that sits much higher above the sea so the entire population can eventually move to safer ground. But it's not the only option on the table. Tuvaluans could move to Australia instead, under a landmark treaty our government signed last year. - This is a ground-breaking agreement. - It's no surprise Australia wanted to be the one to help, given Tuvalu's location in the hotly-contested Pacific region, where China is spending billions in other countries to try to gain the upper hand. - We rely so much on our waters, yet it is also our enemy, posing a big danger and risk to the existence of Tuvalu going forward. - The treaty offers a way out, allowing up to 280 Tuvaluans a year to move to Australia. It doesn't sound like many, but Seve says it doesn't matter, because fleeing overseas is the last resort. - I don't think there would be many that want to go. Our culture is Tuvalu, and therefore we would like to maintain our culture in Tuvalu, rather than taking it away and leaving it somewhere else. - The most interesting thing about the treaty has nothing to do with climate change and everything to do with China. When the deal was signed last year, it stopped Tuvalu making security and defence agreements with other countries without Australia's permission. - Tuvalu's view is to take that out. We were really running out of time, and he didn't allow a proper opportunity for vetting the entire document. - You were rushed? - There was limited time available for us. We wouldn't like Australia, or any other country, for that matter, to determine our own fate, and especially in terms of security purposes. - Beijing, they have their agenda, but their agenda always brings some disasters to the area, the way I look at it, because... - Australia is not the only country concerned that China has its eyes on Tuvalu. - Taiwan has always wanted to be an international player. - Taiwan is so worried, their deputy foreign minister, Tien Chung-Kwang, has come all the way here to firm up their friendship. - I think not only Taiwan should be concerned, I think Australia, the United States, New Zealand, in that matter, should pay more attention, because the equilibrium's been changed once China comes in. They come in with warships sometimes, and warplanes. - How do you combat that potential influence? - First of all, we don't compete with China, because a democracy never competes with totalitarian regimes, which is not apple to apple, number one ` but rest assured, Taiwan will do whatever they need and whatever Taiwan is capable to offer. (FOREBODING MUSIC) - But that strategy has failed in other Pacific Island nations. Nauru, the Solomon Islands and Kiribati have all switched their ties from Taipei to Beijing in the last five years, leaving Tuvalu as one of only three allies in the region. Why do you think some Pacific islands are shifting to Beijing? - Well, probably some politicians, they have their personal agenda. I can only say this. Some` they've been wooed. - But you're confident Beijing's not going to woo Tuvalu? - No. Maybe they try. Maybe they try. They always try, but I don't think they're going to succeed in Tuvalu. - This is the man Beijing will be trying to impress if it wants to gain a foothold in Tuvalu. So, Prime Minister, this is Tuvalu Parliament. - Yes, this is the chamber. - The Prime Minister, Feleti Teo, who only got the job last month. Have you fielded offers from China to help? - Well, not me. (CHUCKLES) We haven't even contemplated any Beijing issues in our new administration, and we don't intend to do that so soon after we are in in office. - Longer-term, can you rule it out entirely? - Uh... well, right now, uh... we don't have any basis to, uh... to contemplate that scenario. I'm sorry, but, uh... (CHUCKLES WRYLY) I have far more immediate development challenges to address. - At the top of the PM's list is climate change. The Coastal Adaptation Project, designed and built by Australians, has a long way to go. So far, it's cost $55 million. Australia chipped in $2 million, and the rest came from Tuvalu and the Green Climate Fund, a pool of donations from around the world. But Tuvalu will need much more to pull off the rest of the plan and build enough new land to move the entire population to higher ground. - I don't think you can put a price on saving a country, can you, but how much is all that going to cost? - It's got to be into billions. - That's a lot of money. Where does it come from? - Well, I will continue to plead to the... to the good hearts of our development partners and international and regional organisations that do have the resources to help Tuvalu build its resilience against the impact of climate change. - Expensive? Yes. Um... but it's been worth it, I think, as you see, and at the end of the day, it's a drop in the ocean to what you're saving. Definitely. (POIGNANT MUSIC) - As exciting as it is to see phase one of his dream design now complete, the science isn't what drives James Lewis. He's in it for the giant smiles on these faces, knowing they'll have a home for generations to come. You know, we're going to lose a culture, something so precious. They're so close to us, as far as, you know, our Pacific neighbours. Can we stand by and watch this happen? Um... I know I can't. (INSPIRING MUSIC) - Well, Tuvalu, like many other small developing countries, is bearing the brunt of the climate crisis despite having made a minuscule contribution to it. Consider this ` Tuvalu's share of global CO2 emissions is 0.00003%. E haere ake nei ` a very special update on a very special story. - WOMAN COOS: Hi! She is missing some bones, and other bones are smaller, or they're bowed. - CRIES: Mummy, make it stop. - In terms of walking, we don't know when or if that'll happen for her. Penelope, as she is right now, she is our best-case scenario. VOICE BREAKS: We are insanely lucky that she's here. - Kia ora mai ano. In July last year, we met and fell in love with wee Penelope. This bubbly Nelson toddler lives with a medical condition so rare many doctors don't know about it. 1 News reporter Jess Roden and her whanau let us into their lives to share a journey of struggle and of strength. - We peeking. - COOS: Hi! (CHUCKLES) Hi. She's just like any other 2-year-old. She's crazy. She's full-on. But I suppose, in a few ways, she's a bit different, too. - Piece of cheese! - Yeah. Do you want to come say hi to Toni? - Do you want to go to the beanbags? - P could crawl around here for days, but in terms of walking, we don't know when or if that'll happen for her. - (CHUCKLES) (POIGNANT PIANO MUSIC) - So, she was born` I think there's a photo of it here. Yeah, here. Oh, it's crazy to look back on, actually. She was born with clubbed feet. (POIGNANT PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES) What it essentially means is that she is missing some bones, so she's missing her fibulas, and other bones are smaller, or they're bowed. Penelope, as she is right now, she is our best-case scenario. VOICE BREAKS: We are insanely lucky that she's here. Penelope has just always been the happiest child. Um... even when I was pregnant with her, there was something about her that was just incredibly content. But... in November, that all changed. - (CRIES) - SOFTLY: Hey. It's OK, it's OK. It's OK. Come here. Come here. She just came back from a walk with her granddad, and she was crying in pain. She was holding her leg and just saying, 'Sore, sore.' - CRIES: Mummy, please make it stop. - She was in chronic pain for a few hours every day, or every few days. - (CRIES) Mummy... - We went to the doctors at the hospital here in Nelson, and they were really kind, but it's a really rare condition, and so every time we went, we'd get a different answer as to why they thought she was in pain. Essentially, for two months, we lost that really happy kid. - Penelope. Where are we? - Plane! - I actually find it really hard when people ask me, 'What's the treatment plan?' and I can't give them an answer, because the doctors can't give us an answer. - She's getting up to the age where we would be now thinking about doing something to reposition the hip. - So, what` So, she` Like now, or in a...? - Sometime later this year, probably. - Really? - Yeah. (GENTLE ELECTRONIC MUSIC) - Essentially, what we need to do is reposition the bone here, and then we need to make a cut through this part of the bone here to straighten up the femur. (GENTLE ACOUSTIC MUSIC) - I asked him, like, what kind of the long-term prognosis was, And he said, 'Everything I'm seeing, she's going to be able to walk.' - How cool is that? - Well, Penelope is now 3, and mum Jess wanted to share a special update. Yes, it's been a challenging journey for the whole family, but there's been extraordinary triumphs as well. Here's what it means to take a first tiny step. (DELICATE PIANO MUSIC) - It was pretty amazing when the story first came out, because, um... so, so many people kind of got in touch, and... it was kind of overwhelming, to be honest. In November, she got that surgery, on her left leg, and it was essentially a hip reconstruction. They had to cut the bone, shave the bone, cut ligaments, move everything around, and then put a plate back. And probably the most challenging bit was she was in a cast ` a full body cast from kind of here downwards, for about seven weeks. - Daddy, you're cheeky! (CHEERY MUSIC PLAYS) (GIGGLES JOYOUSLY) - It was over summer, so she couldn't do very much. She'd get hot and sweaty. Um... she'd complain about being itchy. (LAUGHS) (DANCE MUSIC PLAYS) She did really amazing, and she kind of managed to get herself around on this skateboard. - Dad, I can turn around. Dad, are you real happy with me? - CHUCKLES: Yeah! - She really, really impressed us then. - Wow! (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) - Wow! - In the last couple of weeks, it's been really cool. (FORMULA 1 COMMENTARY PLAYS ON TV) Just little steps. Little steps. That's it. Little steps. - Well done! - Little steps. - Yeah! (EXCLAMATIONS, LAUGHTER) - When she did finally walk, it was amazing. I wasn't expecting it, cos she's really happy crawling around. And so, like, when she came to my arms and when she finally walked, it just felt like this thing that we were told would never happen did. For the most part, Penelope couldn't care less. She is just such a happy kid. It doesn't bother her how she gets around. - Oh! - Oh, well done! Here we go. Come here. Come to Mama. She's just taken everything in her stride. It's incredible. - Oh, isn't that the best to see? Penelope will be needing the same surgery, this time on her right leg, which is planned for later this year. She'll need another full body cast, but has asked for a yellow one. Well, finally this evening, Kiwi businesses combining sustainability and profitability, proudly presented with Kiwibank. Over at TVNZ+, find out more about global beauty brand Emma Lewisham leading huge change across the beauty sector with its ground-breaking 100% circular skincare products. Thank you for joining us this evening. We'll keep bringing you this programme until mid-May, and we still have plenty of excellent local stories to show you. Please share your thoughts or feedback on any of our social sites, and you can find our stories on the Sunday page at TVNZ+. We'll see you next week. Nga mihi nui. Hei kona.