Help John get racing on his trike!

About Me:

Hi my name is John and I am an aspiring para-cyclist - my dream is to represent NZ at the international level. I have had a trike for the last 10 years as a recreational rider but now I would like to take it to another level by competing at national competitions and potentially international. I train hard every day and push myself so that I can be successful and I strongly believe that I have the mind set and the belief to realise my potential and to compete at the highest level possible. I have achieved a lot in my life so far but I am aware that I have a long way to go in order to get to where I want to!

Sport has been and is continuously to be a significant part of my life and I have been involved in many different sports where I competed alongside and against able-bodied athletes by refereeing and coaching football and playing touch but I haven't been able to realise my full potential therefore, I am eager to be successful in para cycling. I am grateful that I was born with a disability as it is much easier for me to forget about the fact that I am different and I can compete like everyone else and this is the reason why I have never been afraid to compete with able-bodied athletes. This is an exciting opportunity for me to fulfil my dream of competing for my country just like my mates who have and continue to excel in their sport and have earned the honour of representing New Zealand in various sports such as basketball and football.

The Journey:

I hate it when people think that I am courageous for overcoming challenges they see with their eyes because I don’t see it this way – I have lived with it so it’s not a big deal for me. I rather embrace challenges when they come because you can’t avoid it in life and you just don’t know when it will come – just like you don’t know when a swell of waves will come your way.

I enjoy the roller coaster ride in my life. When I first came to NZ I thought everything would work out for me – I would attend a normal school and enjoy living in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. However, this was not the case for me because I was forced to confront my disability as I was enrolled into a special school. Having experienced 1st year of primary school at a normal school back in Korea this was a shock to me and I lost my self-confidence and happiness. As I was used to studying in a competitive environment and suddenly being put in a complete contrasting environment was very tough.

As time passed, I strived for acceptance into a normal school. I got into a local intermediate school and I knew that this was the start of an adventurous journey. After finishing my two interesting years at intermediate, I was fortunate enough to get accepted into one of the top secondary schools in Auckland. I was fully aware that I was going to be in an extremely competitive environment – again a huge challenge for me – but I perservered and worked hard to stay in the race!

I love my sports – especially football, basketball and rugby and now cycling! Throughout my time at high school I got to coach and referee the top junior football team and qualified as a referee in the process. I thought refereeing was my sport but as I refereed games I found it difficult to perform due to my physical impairment.

While I was involved in sport at school – I continued to ride my trike which I received back in primary school. I have been riding for about 10 years and I am a very confident rider so I jumped at the opportunity when I heard about a para-cycling talent identification camp. I heard about this when I attended the para athletics talent identification camp in Auckland 3 months prior to the camp.

I trained extremely hard for the cycling camp as I stayed in contact with a para-cycling coach who gave me the challenge of being selected into the development squad. I set this as my goal and I was confident that I could achieve it as I have been riding for a long time. I have achieved this and I am excited for my future in para-cycling – but I need a new racing trike to compete in April and May.

I strongly believe that I will be able to represent New Zealand if I continue to train hard and make steady progress up the para-cycling pathway. If you would like to join my new journey by helping me to get a new trike and allow me to achieve my dream of competing at the international stage then please pledge now!

Budget:

$3,800 Trike

$1,000 Trike Transport + Cycling Gears

I hope that you are excited as much as I am about my future in para-cycling. If you pledge your support I will keep you updated on my progress through email and social media. Also if you donate more than $200 I will write you a letter and I will send you a progress report after every competition.