By Shania Callender

Jonty Howland already has an impressive collection of swimming medals – “mostly golds” – and now he has a few more to his name and is eyeing up the world stage.

The 12-year-old Manawatū para-swimmer added to his medal collection at this year’s week-long Zespri AIMS Games in Tauranga and is hoping his AIMS Games campaign will set him up for his sporting dream of representing New Zealand at the World Dwarf Games.

The Halcombe School student has been swimming for about 11 years now – competitively for two years – and has steadily improved over that time. His sporting idols are New Zealand Paralympic swimmers Dame Sophie Pascoe and Cameron Leslie.

Jonty won eight gold medals and posted four personal best times at the 2023 Zespri AIMS Games, including a huge 7.95-second PB in one of his events.

He said he was excited to be competing at the AIMS Games, alongside nearly 12,000 intermediate-aged athletes from around New Zealand and the Pacific.

Para-athletes have been competing in the AIMS Games since 2017 and this year there are athletes with disabilities taking part in swimming, table tennis, indoor bowls, and cross country.

“The best part of AIMS is being able to show off my skills that I’ve developed in the years that I’ve been competing,” Jonty said.

“It’s an opportunity to compete against the best of the best of Year 7s and 8s from schools around the country.” 

His favourite swimming stroke is the 100m breaststroke – “that’s where most of my medals have come from” – and he usually swims twice a week, although he doubled his training in the weeks leading up to the AIMS Games.

Jonty’s hard work was evident as he competed in the pool at Baywave Aquatic & Leisure Centre this week, with a big crowd cheering him on.

His sporting dream is to represent New Zealand at the World Dwarf Games – an international sporting event exclusive to athletes with dwarfism.

Megan Wishnowsky, a team parent who travelled with the swimmers to Tauranga, said the support for Jonty was incredibly well-deserved. 

“Jonty is so dedicated to all his sport – anything that’s going, he puts his hand up for,” she said.

“He has the most beautiful backstroke and all his medals are getting heavy!”  

She said the AIMS Games has been an “awesome” experience for the young athletes from Halcombe. 

“The kids are so supportive of one another and it’s really not singular; they’re all cheering each other on. It’s been such an awesome atmosphere, really well organised, everyone’s super supportive – they’re not sitting there on phones, they’re all totally involved.”

Article added: Wednesday 06 September 2023