The camp was hosted in Christchurch and saw nine Para-athletes attend, including current members of the PNZ Development and Junior Development Squads, and new riders looking to enter the High Performance pathway.

The camp began with an information session at High Performance Sport New Zealand’s Christchurch base, introducing riders to PNZ and the sport of Para-cycling.

A special guest presentation from current PNZ Academy Squad hand-cyclist Shane Blows was also part of the day.

The group was later joined by another hand cyclist, Jono Nelson, who dazzled the athletes with his skill and speed. 

The session finished with a competitive time trial around the showgrounds, where coaches were impressed by the fast pace set by all athletes.

On the second day, the group headed to Summit Road for some road cycling, hill climbing and descending practice. 

The riders battled a challenging course and windy conditions and again impressed the coaches with their determination and strength. 

The camp then concluded with power testing at the University of Canterbury.   

Here all of the talent identification athletes pushed themselves to the limit in a 30 second maximum effort test, as well as five or 15-minute endurance tests.

The camp was led by PNZ Para-Cycling Development Coordinator Dale MacDonald, who was impressed by the standard of the new riders and hopes the South Island Camp will become an annual event.

“It was really exciting to make our foray into the South Island, and excellent to meet some new riders and work with some of our current development riders," he said.