Guy Harrison almost died when he was three years old. He was told that if he didn’t get into sport he would likely be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

But with the help of his parents, he has never looked back and now a lifetime goal is within reach for the talented sportsman.

It’s 5am in the morning as Guy Harrison dives into the Hastings Regional Sports Park pools, and he has one thing on his mind: earning his Paralympian number.

The 22-year-old from the Hawke’s Bay has a long-term goal of qualifying for the Paralympics as a swimmer. He’s targeting the 100m freestyle and backstroke.

“It would mean everything,” he says.

“I’ve always dreamed of representing New Zealand at the Paralympics. So, to get that number and to be included in that legacy would be a special achievement. It’s something I’m working towards.”

Harrison is focused on qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.

“It would be an awesome achievement for everyone in the Hawke’s Bay who has helped me along the way and supported me in achieving my goals.”

Trying to qualify for the Paralympics is a long way from where Harrison has been.

When he was three years old, he had a seizure lying on his couch at home.

“My eyes rolled back into my head, and I was unconscious. I was dead for 10 minutes as they raced me to hospital and tried to resuscitate me. I was lucky to survive.”

Harrison suffered cerebral palsy because of the seizure. He was encouraged to get into low-impact sports like golf and swimming, to regain his mobility. Growing up, he needed to do five years of speech therapy just to talk.

“I had to relearn everything. It all changed in a moment.

“If I hadn’t kept my body moving, it was likely that I would have spent the rest of my life in a wheelchair. Sport has literally saved my life.”

His dad signed him up to be a junior member at the Awatoto Golf Club and he went onto Maraenui Golf Club. He plays off an eight handicap. In 2022, he was named as the All-Abilities Golfer of the Year by Golf NZ.

“Golf has always been my true love,” he says.

“I love being outside with mates and traveling around playing different golf courses. It was a huge honour to be All-Abilities Golfer of the Year after winning three events during the year.”

He was also a talented runner. He won silver at World Junior Para Athlete Championship in Switzerland in 2017 in 800m.

But in 2021, he had Achilles surgery which ended that dream and he has got back in the pool.

“I’d always loved swimming and had used it to keep me moving. I thought to myself, I have always been a good swimmer, I just needed to commit myself to give it a crack.”

Paralympian and Disability and Para Swimming Participation Manager Cameron Leslie has been impressed with Harrison’s perseverance. 

“Guy has stuck to the course of becoming a better Para swimmer and understanding that it doesn’t just happen overnight,” says Leslie who has won three gold medals.

“He has had to buy into the training required to shift him from being a person living with a disability with athletic potential, to a Para swimmer chasing the dream of representing New Zealand at top tier internationals like World Championships and Paralympic Games.”

Now he is part of the Para Sport Collective and chasing higher honours.

“It’s so cool to be part of a group of athletes who are all aspiring to do the same thing. It has been awesome to be able to gain some more knowledge to help my own development but also have connections which will help further down the track.”

The Para Sport Collective, a Paralympics New Zealand initiative supported by community partner ACC, is for those in the pre-High Performance stage of the Para sport pathway, where a need was uncovered for greater support and community.

“Sport has the power to improve lives and minimise the impact of injury – something we believe in strongly at ACC,” says ACC chief executive Megan Main.

“That’s why I’m so thrilled that ACC is supporting this pre-High Performance stage of their journey,”

Away from his sport, Harrison is in the final year of studying a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science.

Photo: Simon Watts / BW media.

“It has been great bringing a diversity and inclusion lens to all of this work.”
He says the support of his parents has helped him throughout his life.

“They instilled in me early on that mentality that anything is possible and encouraged me to chase my dreams. If you love what you are doing, and work hard then you can achieve great things.” 

He has good advice for any young people living with a disability and are unsure about their future.

“Find your passion,” he says.  “Whatever it is, invest in some sort of recreational activity to keep your body moving. Enjoy life and do the things that you love to do.

“I know that you have gone through heartache and pain but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Take small steps and keep moving forward.”

What is the Para Sport Collective?

• The Para Sport Collective, a Paralympics New Zealand initiative supported by community partner ACC, is for those in the pre-High Performance stage of the Para sport pathway, where a need was uncovered for greater support and community.
• A total of 20 coaches and 22 Para athletes have been selected for the first cohort of the Para Sport Collective.
• ACC believe participation in Para sport has a positive impact on wellbeing and rehabilitation.
• The aim of ACC is to motivate and inspire people to lead active lives, through positive role models and opportunities to try Para sport – at any level.