Our most decorated Paralympian, Sophie Pascoe, has opened New Zealand's medal account at the Tokyo Paralympics with an unexpected silver in the 100m breaststroke, 9000km away from her greatest supporters.
As soon as Sophie Pascoe touched the wall in second place in the Tokyo Aquatic Centre pool on Thursday night - an "unexpected result" in an "unexpected race" - a whole support crew scattered across New Zealand started celebrating.
Her coach of almost 20 years recuperating after illness stopped him from travelling with her to the Tokyo Paralympic Games; her beloved grandmother in her Christchurch retirement village; and her "biggest supporter", mum Jo, on her birthday.
This is Pascoe’s first medal out of a potential five at these Paralympics in the 100m breaststroke SB8 final - and a medal she says she never expected to win.
Pascoe was a late entry in the event, explaining after she leapt out of the pool that she'd entered to get herself into race mode - "to blow the cobwebs out" - before her four favoured events in Tokyo.
"I'm extremely ecstatic," she said. "Breaststroke isn't my favoured event. I'm stoked to get a silver that I would never have thought I was going to get."
Pascoe started strong and was first to make the turn at the 50m mark, but an explosive kick off the wall from Irishwoman Ellen Keane edged her in front with 10m to go, to claim her first Paralympic gold medal. She finished 0.39s ahead of the Kiwi legend, who collected her 16th Paralympic medal, and her seventh silver.
Keane had edged out the Kiwi by just 400ths of a second in the afternoon's heat.
Before the final, the 28-year-old Pascoe dedicated her swim to her mother back in Christchurch. In a heartfelt Instagram message, she wished Jo a happy birthday. “I will certainly miss touching the wall after my races here in Tokyo and looking up to you in the stands, seeing that big smile and tears rolling down your face dressed up in all your Team Pascoe merchandise waving the New Zealand flag,” Pascoe posted. “But I know you will have organised the whole family and you’ll be doing just that in front of the TV.”
The family were no doubt glued to the TV in Pascoe’s hometown of Christchurch in the afternoon to watch her first international race since 2019. Pascoe’s time of 1m 21.75s was her fastest swim time for the year, but she bettered it in the final with 1m 20.32s.
Jo’s mother, Yvonne Goodman, is another of Pascoe’s tight-knit support group who stayed up to witness her podium finish. The time difference is nothing for the proud 85-year-old grandmother, who's had plenty of practice taking late night calls from Pascoe throughout her career.
When LockerRoom spoke to Pascoe and her nana as part of the Paralympic Bonds series earlier this month, Yvonne was initially worried about Pascoe travelling to Tokyo during a global pandemic.
But Yvonne’s concerns were relieved when she watched Olympic athletes competing safely ahead of the Paralympics.
“We all wish we could go and I know her mum, aunty, uncle and friends were going over, they're all so disappointed but I know we will all be glued to our television," said Yvonne, from her retirement village in Christchurch. "And hopefully with a glass of bubbles in our hand to celebrate gold medals. But we still love you even if you don’t.”
Among the rest of the cheer squad was Pascoe’s swimming coach of the last two decades, Roly Crichton. Pascoe visited him in hospital before she left for Tokyo.
“As I share this sad news of not having my coach, friend and biggest supporter with me on the pool deck, achieving our goals together, I know the work we have produced over the past few months, and 20 years we have been working as a team, will pay off in the next few weeks when I take to the blocks in Tokyo,” Pascoe posted on Instagram at the time.
Crichton first spotted New Zealand’s most decorated Paralympian when she was competing at the age of eight. He’s been involved with Paralympic sport for nearly 40 years, first as an athlete - after breaking his back in a car accident as a teenager - winning gold, silver and bronze medals in the pool at the 1984 and 1988 Paralympic Games.
Distance isn't stopping Crichton staying in daily contact with Pascoe, and High Performance Sport New Zealand coach Matt Ingram, who's supporting Pascoe on the ground in Tokyo. Crichton is receiving footage from Tokyo and providing feedback from the rehabilitation centre he's currently staying in.
Ingram has also been a part of Pascoe’s swim team since she was a teenager and has helped in many roles during that time, including bio-mechanist and physiologist.
It’s been a difficult 18 months for Pascoe and she's openly shared she was considering giving up swimming after these Paralympics were delayed by a year. But it’s been her family and friends who've managed to keep her going.
“She does so well in her sport and pushes herself to the limit, she really does push herself,” says her grandmother. “I mean she’s been through some hard times especially this year and we’ve all been very concerned about Sophie, but she’s pulled through.”
Her friend turned partner Rob Samson, who moved in with Pascoe during the first Level 4 lockdown early last year, has been instrumental throughout this tough period.
“I don’t know what we would’ve done without Rob because he cared for Sophie,” Yvonne said. “And now they’ve made a home together and I know they’re both really happy.”
Alongside Jo’s special day, Samson’s birthday will also have to be celebrated on Pascoe’s return to New Zealand.
Yvonne knows the celebrations can only come after years of discipline and sacrifices. She's had front-row seats to Pascoe’s life and career, often seeing her during rigorous mundane routines and plenty of struggles. She understands the time and effort required by Pascoe and other Paralympians.
“Sophie had to give a lot of her social events away because of training the next day, and this has been going on right from the age of nine for competitions,” says Yvonne. “They’ve also got to have their rest, they’ve got to eat right, and sleep of course. Although I think she puts a bit of chocolate into her tummy at times. But they’ve just got to do the right thing for their bodies.”
Technology means Pascoe can stay in regular touch with her family back home. “I think with technology now, where we can get onto the phone, where we have messenger and we can look at each other and have a good laugh together, you feel as though you are in the same room," her grandmother says.
It will have to do for now while Pascoe prepares for the next race in Tokyo - the 100m backstroke on Monday - but her support crew will continue to cheer and celebrate her in New Zealand, until she returns safely home to them in September.
