- My name is Holly Robinson. I was born without my arm. I am a para-athlete, specialised javelin thrower and shot putter, as well. - I'm Raylene Bates. My focus is coaching Holly Robinson through to Paris Paralympics. - To win the Paralympics has always been my goal. (INSPIRING MUSIC) Captions by Tui Tipene. Edited by Kate McCullough. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2024 When I was young and being bullied when I was in school, I would often just be like, 'Yeah, I'm missing my arm. I'm disabled.' But then I started playing sport. And in a way, sport gave me the opportunity to show that I'm not defined by that. I don't particularly enjoy the rain, if I'm honest, but that's all right. I was brought up on the West Coast, in a wee town called Hokitika. - Yeah, better. You get that foot down before you move your arm. - Oh yup. We were always outdoors, playing sports, riding our motorbikes, so, yeah, I sort of just had to get on with it. And I think that's sort of the West Coast way. You sort of just have to get on with it, otherwise you don't do it. - I'm blinking freezing. (LAUGHS) Late 2009, I was actually in Invercargill for an athletics meet, and Holly was competing, and I just said, 'That girl's got talent.' 'That girl.' (LAUGHS) They didn't have a track on the West Coast. They didn't have a javelin run up. She said, 'Well, I want to come to Dunedin. I want to be where you guys are.' So I looked at my husband. I says, 'Oh well, looks like we've got another boarder.' (LAUGHS) So literally, my oldest son moved out to go to university in the morning, and she moved in the afternoon. (CHUCKLES) - That was a bit better. 'So I ended up living with their family and starting that journey with her as my coach.' - The challenge has been balancing her arm. She wasn't balanced... because of the lack of arm. - Didn't use my hip. - Mm. No. - 'So she suggested getting a prosthetic.' - Because, you know, when you've got nothing from here to here, and no hand to be able to actually create that tension, it is harder. - I'm just opening. - Yeah, you are. - (GROANS) I was selected for my first world champs in 2011. Rio in 2016 was a pretty incredible experience for me. (HYPE MUSIC) - ANNOUNCER: NOVA ZELANDIA. - Flagbearing for New Zealand was an honour for me, and an honour for Batesy as well, I think. (INSPIRING MUSIC) It was pretty surreal. Winning my first medal at the Paralympics ` winning silver was so cool. And so to stand there with a medal around your neck, and looking at your flag being raised is just an incredible experience. And then we have Tokyo. - COMMENTATOR: Robinson for New Zealand. - (GRUNTS) - Out past 40m. Holly Robinson up to the top. Holly Robinson! - 'Obviously, winning gold ` it's quite overwhelming.' - Well, the 26-year-old Kiwi has been second three times at World Championships. A little bit tired of being a runner-up. - 'So I don't think I'd be where I am today if it wasn't for Raylene.' Can my coach come in this interview with me? - INTERVIEWER: Yeah. - Is that OK? Raylene? 'Yeah, she's pretty cool.' TEARFULLY: We've been together 10 years now, and I'm just so proud of us as a team for believing that we could do this. Oh, I just` I've been dreaming of this moment for so long. And to finally be here and to finally get it is awesome. - And there's lots more there, yet. There is so much more there, yet. - I want to get to World Champs this year to gain a slot for the 2024 Paralympic Games. Wanna go out next year to defend my title, but also show everyone what I'm truly capable of. This here is my corner of all things that are pretty special to me when it comes to sport, but also some other things that I've done in my life. So I have all of my medals here. This one here is my Tokyo one. The only gold one I have. (CHUCKLES) This one here is my Rio medal. So the first one that I ever won at a Paralympic Games. It's pretty worse for wear, um... (CHUCKLES) because the first day I got it, I dropped it on the concrete floor. And you can actually see the wee split down the middle. Both parts fell apart, and I had to just stick them back together, but it sort of adds to the story of it, where I get to show kids, and they're like, 'Why does it have a dent on it?', and you get to tell the wee story. I've got my Order of Merit as well. This was something I never, ever expected. So it comes in this wee box here... and there... is my Order of Merit. Really special to receive that. These are all things that mean a lot to me. So I got a Local Heroes award, which was pretty awesome. This was a couple of years ago now. Pretty cool to get recognised for the things you do in the community, like my 'Run Jump Throw' adaptive resource that I helped to develop, so that no kid is left behind on the athletics track. There's a resource now to make sure that that doesn't happen. Really proud of that programme. All right guys, looking and listening towards me. So my name's Holly. I do athletics, and I really love the throwing events. If there was a running event or a throwing or a jumping event, which one do you like the most? - Jumping. - Jumping, cool. And what's your name? Particularly in my younger years, having people just make assumptions about me because of my missing arm ` it really knocked my confidence. Sport boosted my confidence up. We're gonna run really tall like a giraffe. - How, like this? - OK, on the tips of our toes, and nice and tall. So we are launching our Northland pilot programme for the adaptive 'Run Jump Throw' that teaches kids the fundamental skills within athletics. Red light! Getting kids active, getting them moving really well. And... orange light ` (SLOWLY) slow motion. When I reflect back on my journey, I had a few key people that said, 'Hey, you can do this. You just do it in your own way.' Like an elephant. - RAYLENE: We've developed a module that gives reference or suggestions for how to adapt an exercise if somebody is perhaps in a wheelchair, if somebody is a leg amputee, if somebody is visually impaired. - I was given opportunities when I was young, so to be able to give other people opportunities, it makes me so happy. You also see the parents go like, 'This is mean.' Like, 'This is so cool.' - DAVID: Sage can't jump too well, but they've given her an alternate activity. Little things that we take for granted, but it's actually... a way for her to develop. - Just go from there. Don't go too high. Just go from there. There you go. Just flick it. Just flick it. Yes. - Whoo! - Nice. Good work! So you're just adapting the exercise. OK? We're going to do that again. Nice and tall. OK, up, over. Yes! - Yay! - So Sage stood up then. Which is great` you know, used her whole body. That's good. Adapt it to the individual. Yes! - DAVID COOPER: She's overcome quite a bit in her life. - Hey, I've gotta run to keep up with ya. - And she's helped us be better parents to our other kids as well. So... We signed up with athletics to show, 'Look, there's a pathway for you here.' - Right, balance on one foot... And jump on the two. CHUCKLES: Good girl. I love seeing kids smile when they do something they haven't necessarily done before. - I mean, I just love it. It's about life skills. It's about building confidence in people that they can actually do anything that they want to do. Pick up your right leg. Pick it up. That's your left leg! (LAUGHS) Hey. - I love my sport, and I love the technical aspect that it brings. - Nice! - But I also love that I can challenge other people's perspectives... Nice one. Can I get a high-five? ...and in a way, I do sport to show those people that anything is possible as well. (BRIGHT MUSIC) - We're at the CREPS Centre, which is a facility for the athletes here in Montpellier. You can actually see the track from our window, so I just skip out my back door and I'm over to the track. This will be my sixth world champs. A lot of people think you get overseas and you're gonna train, train and train. And as a younger athlete, that was me. (CHUCKLES) But in actual fact, you sort of slow down, and you let your body get into a really good position to get ready for that competition. I, in the last few months, haven't done a lot of throwing, just because of an injury and a rehab for that. - RAYLENE: She had surgery on her elbow this year, so that put a bit of a spanner in the works leading into world champs. Yeah, I got it. I got it. Don't move it. She's had some bony chips taken out of her elbow, and she's had some bone spurs shaved off her bone as well. Because of her elbow surgery, we've had to make a subtle technical change to her technique. Could you feel the length in that? There was no movement at all on the right hand. That was perfect. So we're working on that. We're almost there. Oh... See how the tail's coming down ` just wait. - HOLLY: During the tough time that I've had with my surgery, I haven't thrown as much as I previously would. - I mean, it's been really tough trying to cram 12 months' training into a couple of months. Holly, just have a look at this. Just see where your javelin's pointing when you get in there. - Out there, eh? - Correct. Do not move your hand. - Javelin is so technical that one little thing can affect the outcome by metres. - I really like the right hip on that. Like, it just went ` zoom. We are here to gain a top-four placing to secure a slot for Paris 2024. That's the bottom line. - HOLLY: The prosthetics are pretty cool. Day to day, they're a bit annoying, but in a training sense they're actually really useful. I can attach to bars. I can lift lots of weight with them. I can produce more power in certain positions. It's allowed me to play a lot more in the gym. - She can do a clean. She can do a high pull. She can do a pull up. She can do most things that anybody else can do. (BARBELL CLANGS) - Whoops. So this was made through High Performance Sport Innovations. What happens ` it's like a pin lock system... Goes in, and then you lock it off so you can't pull it out. It's brilliant. 3D printed, and it mimics somewhat of a wrist action with this movement here. So it allows me to do rows, pull ups... It's anything arm-dominated, back-dominated. So this games is a little bit different for me. I've got two events. It's actually my second world champs that I've competed in two events. For my first-ever world champs, I was a shot putter and javelin thrower. I'm really looking forward to that extra event and seeing what that brings. - RAYLENE: We thought, 'Right, we'll go to World Champs, and we'll have a go at the shot.' Javelin ` you wanna be light, agile, fast. Shot put's around more strength and power. You know, she's taking on the challenge and she's gonna have a go. OK, let's really work today on trying to get that foot underneath and stay close and through, OK. So rather than popping up, going right through it. 'It's taxing on her, double training.' OK, you got your foot underneath you, but you rush it. Just be patient. Drive up, out. Nice and strong. 'She's basically learning to throw again.' - Better? - Yeah. - Raylene is such a determined person. And ever since I started competing, she's always been that one to be like, 'Hey, this isn't good enough. We need to change it.' You need to be more` that foot turned. 'But I am quietly confident that she will be able to at least throw a PB in the shotput.' I'm just watching when you're getting across the circle ` what are you doing? - I think I need to push my left leg out more. - Correct. - Yeah. - First competition is this time next week. So we're at the ` as I said ` the sharp end of the tour now. - I would love to medal, but I'm really not sure where I'm at, at the moment, after my elbow surgery. - She is the world record holder. She's the reigning gold medallist from Tokyo, so a lot of athletes wouldn't compete. She's been throwing 8m less than what her world record is. - All of my world medals have been in javelin. We have a pretty strict criteria of being top four to gain a slot for the Paralympics. - Come on, let's go. Drive, drive, drive. (ANNOUNCER SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) (CROWD CHEERS) COMMENTATOR: Reigning Paralympic champion ` with her opener, she's in second position. - Really good legs. Now, let's get up and over it, OK. She's taking the approach to actually just go and have a go and see what happens, and use the competition for competition's sake. - I got fourth place in the javelin, which initially I was disappointed. - Girl, you got your slot. You got your slot. Good girl. Well done. You gave it everything. Well done. - So top four was, like, a spot for our nation for next year. So I'm pretty pleased to get that, cos it relieves a lot of tension off me now. (CHUCKLES) Obviously it's not my best throw, but for where I'm at right now, I'm happy. I'm content. (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) Every time that you wear the Silver Fern is a proud moment, and I'm always super proud to represent my country. People on the outside see the best of us, but behind that is a lot of sacrifice. Some of those challenges have nearly taken me out of the sport, if I'm honest. But moments of standing on the podium have helped me to be like, 'Hey, no, this is what I fight for. This is why I do what I do.' So when I'm coming into the circle, I sort of get that feeling of anticipation for a really big throw. (CROWD CHEERS) - Silver, well done. - So I got silver. Even set an Oceania record, so very, very happy with that. - Good on you. (BOTH CHUCKLE) - I just know I went` I went like that on it with my hand. Eh? - Well done. (CHUCKLES) Good girl. I'm so pleased. (CHUCKLES) I am so pleased. (CHUCKLES) Very proud of her. Very proud of her. She overcome a lot to be here, so yeah... Really happy. Very happy. Yeah. (AMBIENT MUSIC) - Paralympics is the biggest event on our calendar, right. For the next eight months, pretty focused on what I need to do. You know, I wanna go and defend my title, and I want to be a secondary medallist as well, and everything has just aimed towards that. Eight months ` that's what I've got left, and I'm gonna give everything to it. People remember ` they remember Paralympic champions. - MICHAEL: We're in a strength reload week. So we're just coming out of a power phase` Just giving a little bit more tone back to the muscles for the week. Making sure she's got strength and range. Not up. - Through. - Through. - OK. - And just increase power in general. Make her a faster, more powerful javelin thrower. Yeah. A beast. - At the gym at High Performance Sport New Zealand, we do a lot of different things to what a general gym would do. - That's fine. - This is one of our new machines. This is a Keiser. (EXHALES RHYTHMICALLY, MACHINE CLATTERS) To work on the peak power. (EXHALES) So now we're gonna do this, with... one over here, and our squat jumps. - Nice, Hol. - So go from this to that... to that. (ENERGETIC MUSIC) - What we're chasing here is peak velocity on this jump ` so how fast can she be at the end? 2.9. - WHISPERS: Yes. - Good girl. Three on the dot. - Aw. (CHUCKLES) - Still... You want more. Always want more out of this, eh. - Yeah. - We're using that to prime this... Come on, get over three. ...so get more power out of the jump. - (EXHALES SHARPLY) - 3.01. Come on. PB'd. - Yay. - Yay! 3.08. It's been a long time coming. It's so good. - Yeah. To be pushing my body is something I really value. - Come on. - Having people challenge you in everything that you do... having to be OK with feeling uncomfortable. - MAN: Yeah, boy! - The 40 is my PB. - Come on, equal PB. Here we go. Ooh! She came up well. - (LAUGHS) - Yeah-hey! - Just that fight ` the fight for just wanting to be better. Let's do it. - Yeah, sweet. Come on. Get it! Ooh! - Not today. - Not today. - CHUCKLES: Sorry. (HUMS) Paris ` I'm excited. Also very nervous. - Have you got your bungee? - Yeah. Raylene is gonna be in a different role... - Just holding that back... - So that it will be different for us, compared to previous games. So just here? - Yup. 2024 has turned into something that is bigger than Ben-Hur. So I'm Chef De Mission for the Paralympics in Paris. So the first movement ` there is no movement of the upper body. My role as Chef De Mission is to provide a culture that enables those athletes to perform to the best of their ability. - They're pretty much like the leader for us, right? They set the tone, they set the culture, they set the team mana. - It's exciting. It's an exciting opportunity. Just let the knees move. Knees move first. - I've only ever been to a major champs where she has been just a coach for me. That's a little bit scary, but also really exciting as well, cos it gives us different opportunities. - Much better. - Yeah. But I also think it will allow me to grow a little bit as an individual, and to challenge myself a little bit more. - Yeah, I think we can just get a bit more consistent... - Yeah. - ...but once you get consistent with that movement... - Yeah. - ...it'll` yeah. - I think you have two types of athletes in this world ` the athlete that can be the athlete full time, and that's all they focus on. And the other side of the fence, where the athlete needs something else to be able to thrive in their sport. I'm definitely that type of athlete. I love my gardening. It's pretty cool. I'm definitely a work in progress when it comes to my gardening skills, but it's quite nice to just plant wee bursts of colour, because I love colour. I've done a lot of work in schools, particularly the primary school space, which is really cool, and I love that. I've started my Masters of Teaching, and currently working for Drug Free Sport New Zealand as well, which is cool. Yeah, it also signifies a different part of my life as well. Settling down. Yup. Hi, Batesy. - Hope youse are hungry. - Raylene's been a big part of my life as a coach, but as a friend as well. Even when we bought our own house, she was like, 'These are the things you need to do,' like the mama bear she is. Thanks, Raylene. - No problem. - Yum, yum. - Thank you, brother. - So this is pretty much the family that I sort of moved into when I came down here. (LAUGHTER) Raylene was so excited about me moving in. She's like, 'I've made this roast for you.' This beautiful roast dinner, the first night I was here. And... I didn't want to tell her that I was a vegetarian and not accept the food that she cooked for me. Fair to say things changed pretty quick after that, and I wasn't a vegetarian anymore. (LAUGHS) - She wasn't the first one to live here, but Holly was the longest athlete to live here. - (CHUCKLES) - It's not just all about the sport; it's actually about growing the person and looking after them as well. - I probably wouldn't be at the level of sport that I am now if it wasn't for how I was born. Bunnies. I think it's made me a lot more resilient. And a lot of people say to me, 'If I could give you a magic pill, 'would you take it to get your arm back?' And I would say to them, no, because this is what makes me who I am. This is what makes Holly Holly. (WARM MUSIC) Captions by Tui Tipene. Edited by Kate McCullough. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air.