Bailley Unahi

Grassroots

Kia ora tātou, my name is Bailley.

 I wanted to be a health professional or a scientist when I grew up! As a child my hobbies were playing sports (swimming, netball, basketball, touch and rugby), playing for hours on the monkey bars with my sister, or biking. 

My hometown

I grew up in the heart of Southland, Winton. Now I call Wānaka my home! 

My journey as a Para athlete

Following an accident at age 19 where I sustained a spinal cord injury, I then needed to use a wheelchair to get around. Life looked a little bit different and I couldn’t play the same sports I previously enjoyed. The first Para sport I tried was Wheelchair basketball in Dunedin with Parafed Otago. This included using a custom-designed wheelchair to help you travel fast, turn quickly and keep you from tipping over, which was way harder than I expected!  

“If you are passionate about it there’s always a way.”

I then tried sit-skiing in 2017 and couldn’t imagine how it was possible to ski while paralysed as I struggled to ski with two working legs! But once I spent a day on the maunga (mountain), I was hooked. I compete in Para alpine skiing in the women’s sitting category. I have my own sit-ski which clips into standard ski bindings and I can switch ski’s depending on what race I am competing in. I have suspension and a shock (like a mountain bike or motorbike) to absorb the bumps and jumps. I have outriggers (the little crutches on my arms) which help me move about on flat snow like pushing to the chairlift lines and getting up when I fall over but they also have a ski mode which helps keep me balanced when skiing down the mountain. The goal of my sport is to be the fastest skier down the race course! I train on the snow in all weather conditions two winters a year, as well as training in the gym to stay strong. 

I first represented New Zealand last year in Canada when I had my first overseas competition. I felt extremely cold because it was -35 degrees celsius at Nakiska ski resort. I also felt proud to represent such a small country against competitors from both USA and Canada! 

Fun facts

• My favourite food is Blue cod. 
• My favourite place to visit is the Great Barrier Reef. I loved snorkeling in the Whitsundays! 
• My dream holiday is skiing anywhere! 
• My favourite time of the year is spring because you still get to ski and the days are longer and warmer. 
• I am definitely a night owl.