For many of New Zealand's top track and field athletes there is a lot riding on nationals in Hawke's Bay this weekend.
For shot putter Caitlin Dore, it’s her first and final chance to qualify for the Tokyo Paralympics, following two postponed attempts due to Covid-19.
“It’s been a long time coming and I got a snippet last year in September when I was just 20 centimetres off,” Dore said.
To gain automatic entry, she needs to be in the top six and throw 10.24m.
Her coach Raelene Bates - who has coached Dore in Dunedin for the past six years - said she was "absolutely" more than capable.
“She has an immense amount of strength and would foot it with any able bodied athlete,” Bates said.
The duo know how tough the road to Paralympics can be, having been to Rio 2016 for javelin.
And with a new discipline comes a new move – back home to Christchurch, to be closer to family and friends.
“I’ve found my passion for the sport again and the new environment’s really lifted my mood and overall mental health,” Dore said.
It also means she has new training partners who happen to be some of the world’s best – Tom Walsh and Valerie Adams.
“It’s been awesome [training with them], and just shows we are all just shot putters and just athletes training for the same goal, whether that’s Olympics or Paralympics,” Dore said.
While she is unsurprisingly nervous for this weekend’s competition, she is hopeful she can throw the distance and is grateful the support of her peers.
Regardless of what happens, she plans to then have a much needed break and regroup with a new coach closer to home, Hayden Hall.
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