Mitch’s story: On cusp of long-held Paralympics dream
After losing his right leg as a teenager, it would have been easy for Mitch Joynt to give up on life. But his determined attitude and the support of ACC have put him on the verge of achieving his Paralympics dream.
Mitch Joynt is built differently to most people.
The 29-year-old Para sprinter will achieve a long-held dream this month. He will receive his unique Paralympics number to represent New Zealand at Paris 2024.
Mitch lost his right leg in a woodchipper accident 11 years ago. While lying in hospital, coming to terms with his new life, his focus quickly shifted to what he could achieve.
“As soon as I lost my leg, I knew the Paralympics was an option and I had that drive to get there,” he says.
“That's just who I am. Failure was never an option. If I’m passionate about something and, if I really want to achieve it, I'll work myself to the bone until it becomes a reality.
“It's almost lucky such a traumatic injury happened to someone like me. I've taken it in my stride and made the best of the situation.”
Joining an exclusive club
It’s hard for Mitch to put into words what it will mean to line up at the Paralympics in the famous black singlet.
“The biggest feeling will be relief. I’ve worked for a long time for this opportunity, so to finally be there is going to be an amazing experience,” he says.
“When I line up in the heat, I know I’ll be achieving something a very select number of New Zealanders have ever done.”
His coach and good mate Hamish Meacheam says Mitch’s commitment and work ethic to achieve this goal is unparalleled.
“In the six years we’ve worked together, Mitch has never missed a single session,” Hamish says.
“That’s incredibly rare. He’s the most dedicated athlete I’ve ever met.”
Getting up to speed
Mitch heads to Paris with plenty of confidence.
At the Para Athletics World Championships in Japan, he earned a dramatic bronze medal in the men’s 200m T64, courtesy of an Oceania record of 23.15.
The Milldale athlete originally finished fourth. He was ‘fighting demons’ in the changing rooms before management knocked on the door. They informed him Italian Francesco Loragno, who had crossed the line first, was disqualified for a lane infringement.
“It was a special moment. I knew I’d run well, and my time shows I’m right in the mix for medal contention for Paris,” he says.
“I know I can run faster as well. I’d love to run sub-23 seconds in Paris and that will be our goal over the next few weeks.”
Mitch and Hamish are under no illusions as to what they need to work on leading into the pinnacle event of the year. It’s about getting the starts and bend right.
“We need to nail that first 60m and just get up to speed quicker,” Mitch says.
“I'm probably one of the best in the world at the home straight so I just need to set that up better.”
Funding boost makes difference
Mitch now has more time to improve in training, after receiving funding from High Performance Sport NZ.
Previously, the Aucklander was getting up at 3am to work as a truck driver from 4am to 2pm before heading to the track to fit in his training.
“It took me a few weeks to stop waking up at that time,” he laughs.
“That support has made a world of difference and now I can recover from my training sessions. We’re seeing that in my results.”
In Japan, Mitch ran a personal best and is seeing some encouraging signs.
In previous seasons, he would start with times in the 200m T64 around the mid-24 seconds mark. Now he’s able to cross the line in the low 23 seconds consistently.
He also credits the great environment in the Paralympics track and field team, the members of which push each other in training and are great mates to tour with.
William Stedman claimed the silver medal in the T36 long jump at the Tokyo Paralympics. He’s a regular training partner and they’re doing a pre-training camp in Belgium together.
“Running can sometimes be a bit of a lonely sport,” Mitch says.
“Stedy and I are good mates, and we bounce off each other well. It’s great to have that camaraderie and to keep pushing each other.”
Inspiring others by giving back
Mitch says the support of ACC has been a constant for him over the past 11 years, through his rehabilitation and helping to fund his running blades.
“ACC is awesome,” he says. “We’re privileged in this country to get that support.”
Mitch also loves to give back.
He helps mentor people with an amputation in a peer support programme. He says it’s good to help normalise people’s recovery and show them everything is going to be okay.
“My advice for young people who’ve lost a limb is to just go through the rehab. It's hard – I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Those first six months are brutal, but they shouldn’t be an option.
“On the other side, there’s a huge amount you can still achieve. You can still have a great life.”
Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
The 2024 Paralympic Games take place in Paris from 28 August to 8 September, you can follow the action live on TVNZ.
Para Sport Collective
ACC has a community partnership with Paralympics NZ, including supporting the Para Sport Collective.
The collective is a three-year initiative created by Paralympics NZ that supports pre-high performance Para athletes and coaches to achieve their goals.
More information is available on the Paralympics NZ website.
