Athlete welfare is non-negotiable - even if an Olympic medal is on the line, according to Sports Minister Grant Robertson.
New Zealand 2016 Olympic gold medal winners Eric Murray, Hamish Bond, Mahe Drysdale, Peter Burling, Blair Tuke and Lisa Carrington Photo: Photosport
High Performance Sport New Zealand released a 2024 strategy on Thursday that switched the focus of the high performance system through changes in investment, wellbeing and performance pathways.
"The need for change is evident particularly in the athlete welfare and wellbeing space," Robertson said.
"We know that there have been a number of reviews into sport, particularly at a performance level, where wellbeing issues have been highlighted and I'm delighted that the strategy is taking that seriously, is learning the lessons from those reviews and will contribute significantly I think to improvement in athlete wellbeing.
"We have to listen to the voices of athletes, we have to work alongside our high performance athletes and coaches to provide them with the support to be able to perform at the highest level.
"For me this is not some kind of either or, or add on, it's all part of being able to achieve and succeed at the highest level is understanding the importance of wellbeing as part of that."
HPSNZ chief executive Michael Scott said the strategy was a "significant dial-up" on existing welfare provisions and allowed the governing body to work with National Sporting Organisations to improve the performance environment.
"We need to raise the bar," Scott said.
Alpine skiier Adam Hall Photo: Supplied
Double Paralympic gold medalist alpine skiier Adam Hall felt supported in his own journey to the top, but saw a need for the future generations to feel the same way.
Hall said snow sports athletes reach high performance levels sooner than other sports and they needed support throughout their elite careers.
"When you're looking at talent now they're starting at such young ages, 8, 10, 12-year-olds, they can start really early so having a really good welfare programme around that is really important particularly as you mature as an athlete," Hall said.
New Zealand Nacra 17 sailing coach and former Olympic champion Jo Aleh said the inclusion of coaches into HPSNZ strategy, particularly in the wellbeing initiatives, was evidence of people taking notice of what it takes to guide top athletes.
"The demands that you are under as a coach I think has slipped by the wayside a bit in the past and they've just expected coaches to get on with it and do the work," Aleh said.
New Zealand sailors Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
When she was competing Aleh was an advocate for athletes being heard but she says sometimes it's the athletes that put themselves in tough spots.
"It's not probably until you've been competing longer and you look back and [realise] I probably sacrificed too much of my wellbeing to achieve that goal - but no one told me to - we do it as athletes, we do it to ourselves."
She said the wellbeing initiatives could keep athletes involved in sport longer and with a "happier" reflection on their sporting careers.
"The benefits of wellbeing will be longer term than maybe we think. I know for me as an athlete there is a lot of things I would change but also wouldn't. I just hope it is a different experience for the athletes coming through."
