Siobhan Terry

Grassroots

Kia ora tātou, my name is Siobhan Terry. 

I remember having lovely teachers back in primary school and wished I could be a teacher when I grew up, especially a music or PE teacher. My favourite memory as a child was when I used to hang out in the neighborhood with my friends and go for bike rides or explore the nearby forest area. I remember having a lot of hobbies when I was younger like music, sports, sewing, and probably my favourite was arts and crafts. 

My hometown

I was born in Rotorua, but I grew up over in Australia down in Hobart. I then moved back to live in Rotorua but often refer to Hobart as my second home. 

 My journey as a Para athlete

 I have always been a really active person, even as a child, and yet, it wasn’t until the end of 2015 that I was introduced to the world of Para sports through my English teacher. My first event as a Para athlete was a 2km race at the New Zealand Secondary School Cross-Country Championships. This was a crazy experience and I remember feeling so nervous for it that I trained almost every day to prepare. I was really surprised to have won that race, but soon after discovered that my legs were struggling with the impact of running, so I had to stop. Since then, I have changed sports to competitive swimming for 8 years and have now moved into a completely new space of cycling.   

I get to train on a velodrome and on the road. My training each week varies quite a lot, but it is normally 5-6 days a week on the bike, plus 2 gym sessions. What I really like about my sport is that each session is mixed up, so some days I might be on the velodrome, some days on a stationary trainer in my bedroom or other days exploring the roads. The hours that I train can be anywhere from 10 to 15 hours per week. I put a lot of time into what I do, not only to become the best that I can be but also because I love it! 

For me the biggest thing that makes me a better athlete is also what I do off the bike. These are things like, spending time with my family/friends, my mahi (work) which helps financially support what I do and also getting involved in the community. I train on and off the bike by looking after myself on all levels so that I can feel and perform at my best. 

“I am quite a driven person so the Paralympic values align perfectly with who I am as a person and who I aspire to be for others.”

The first time I represented New Zealand was in March 2023 at the Brisbane Oceania Track Champs. This experience was incredible, I had only been racing in my sport for four months at this point and normally I would have thought that I would have been overcome by nerves. But I remember in the lead up feeling so ready for this and excited to give it my best with no expectations.  

Come race days there were a few nerves, but I felt so much support from everyone around me — competitors, our team manager, support staff, my coach and whānau and friends who were back home. I loved this experience and felt so happy to be there! 

An achievement where I felt proud of myself was in August 2023. Sitting outside of my sport this achievement came through challenging myself to do the 21-day Classic Outward Bound course. I had this goal since 2018 and was unsure if I could do it because of my disability. On this course I climbed mountains, sailed a boat, climbed up rocks and so much more. I am proud of this achievement because this was something I was really scared of doing but I still gave it a go and learnt so much about myself and what I am capable of. 

My advice would be to set your why in anything you choose to do, as to ‘enjoy it’ – If you enjoy what you do then the outcome will be just as fulfilling as the journey. 

 Fun facts

• If I had a superpower I would be able to stop time, that way I would never be late and could sleep in whenever I wanted. 
• My favorite movie is ‘Inside Out’ because for one it is fun and colorful but also because it has a really strong messaging behind it. 
• My favorite book is ‘The Faraway Tree’ by Enid Blyton because it is creative and fun and leaves so much room for the imagination. 
• M favourite quote is: “Mā te wā – Time will tell”. This is about living in the moment and enjoying the journey.  
• My favorite food is crumpets with peanut butter.