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Teenage wheelchair racer's Paralympics' dream full steam ahead thanks to a bit of Kiwi ingenuity

May 9, 2020

With some help from his dad, Jaden Movold has been reaching new heights.

The Covid-19 lockdown has stifled the training regimenes of athletes across all sports, however many would think New Zealand wheelchair racer Jaden Movold would be at a greater disadvantage.

Living with spina bifida has seen Movold, 15, undergo 30 surgeries with five including two neurosurgeries in the past year.

It's no wonder then, that a national lockdown isn't enough to knock him off the path toward his sporting goals.

Movold has boldly stated that he wants to go to the 2024 Paralympics and thanks to some ingenuity from his Dad, Neil, the aspiring Paralympian has been able to keep up with training from home, building everything he needs to keep the wheels turning. 

Along with Zoom training sessions with international athletes and a 3am wakeup to race the Bloomsday event, Movold raced the virtual Boston Marathon, achieving a new personal best in the most kilometres travelled.

"So I decided why not do it? So I got up at 1am in the morning and I managed to push 21kms which is the most I've ever pushed," he said.

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