In the latest in our series in which we catch up with a member of our proud NZ Paralympic Team alumni, we chatted to recently retired three-time Paralympian #205 Jesse Reynolds.
Knowing when to retire from competitive sport is never easy for a high performance athlete.
But after a distinguished 15-year international career, Para swimmer and three-time Paralympian Jesse Reynolds was at peace with his decision to hang up his goggles – which was formerly announced at the Apollo Projects New Zealand Swimming Championships in Auckland in May 2025.
Working full-time as a KiwiSaver advisor and married to Grace in January 2025, he had reached the end of his Para swimming journey after realising post the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games that he no longer had the same enthusiasm for training.
“The closer you get towards the end of your career you start to question how much longer you can go on for,” explains Jesse, who was born without a right leg, “My mind wasn’t entirely made up at the beginning of the year and I thought after a long break I could get myself up for another World Championships. But the closer we got to making that decision, I realised I was no longer craving those early morning sessions. That was the sign that I wasn’t loving Para swimming anymore, and the time was right (to retire).”
Hamilton-raised Jesse admits growing up with a disability as a child presented challenges. Irrespective of what he did or what he said, Jesse was often labelled as the kid at school with “one leg” or the “robot leg.”
Highly competitive and passionate about sport, Jesse understandably, given his disability, found running and jumping challenging. Yet competing in a school swimming competition aged 11 changed everything.
“I realised as a swimmer I was able to compete with my mates,” he recalls. “That was the lightbulb moment when I knew I could be quite competitive, not simply against people with disabilities, but also my friends. Swimming was the first time I realised I could be good at something.
“Then once I started winning medals and competing in international events I changed from the guy with one leg into Jesse the swimmer. As a teenager I think everyone struggles with what other people think of you – to experience that switch was pretty cool.”
Making his international debut in 2009 at the Paralympic Youth Games in Melbourne provided the platform for Jesse’s future, and four years later on with his senior New Zealand debut, he announced his arrival as a top-class performer by placing sixth in the Men’s 400m Freestyle S9 at the World Para Swimming Championships in Canada.
Placing fifth in the Men’s 400m Freestyle S9 at the 2015 World Para Swimming Championships in Glasgow offered more encouragement for Jesse but just ten days out from the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games during pre-camp in Florida disaster struck, as he slipped on the road following a thunderstorm and fractured his stump.
Initially it appeared that Jesse’s hope of making his Paralympic debut in Rio was over, but following consultation with New Zealand medical staff it was decided he could compete.
“We concluded I was not likely to cause the stump any additional damage, it was just going to hurt like hell, so I decided to compete,” he explains. “I did not get anywhere near my PB in my first event in Rio, the Men’s 400m Freestyle (S9), but in my later events (the Men’s 200m Individual Medley SM9 and Men’s 100m backstroke S9) I set a PB in the heats of both events to make the final where I improved my time again. The Games had been a bittersweet experience for me, but it showed me that I didn’t need a perfect build up to still perform well, which helped me whenever I felt nervous at future events.”
Jesse, who had been based in Auckland since the age of 18, found the journey to the COVID-19 impacted Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games a struggle at times. The postponed Games extended the Paralympic cycle to five years, but despite the challenges, he performed with pride in the Japanese capital city placing sixth in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S9 and seventh in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley SM9.
However, after spending two weeks in managed isolation on his return home to Aotearoa New Zealand he opted to make some key changes. Keen to return to Hamilton to be closer to family and friends, he also switched from long-time coach Simon Mayne to be guided by Mat Woofe.
Working in a fresh environment provided the spark he required as he set a massive PB to win silver in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S9 at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Focusing on quality over quantity in training he was selected for a third Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 – and he looks back fondly on the experience, which in many respects was the polar opposite to that of the COVID-19 impacted Tokyo Games.
“Paris was great,” reflects Jesse, who placed seventh in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S9. “I was there to compete but also aware that I might not compete at another Paralympic Games, so I wanted to smell the roses and enjoy it. I interacted with the NZ Paralympic Team in a range of Para sports; I also hung out with Paralympians from different countries in the Village. Paris was enjoyable. I was part of a great team; I made lots of close friendships. My then partner (now wife) travelled with one of her best friends, so I had some support in the crowd.”
Looking back on his lengthy international career, which spanned a decade-and-a-half, he was impressed by the progress made by the Paralympic Movement. From his debut in 2009 which he believes felt “more participatory” to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which was perceived for what it is – a high performance sporting event – Jesse is delighted at the evolution of Para sport and the Paralympic Games.
Today working full-time for Generate Kiwisaver – where he is passionate about helping Kiwis invest their money – is providing immense satisfaction for Jesse, who began an interest in investing in his future during his time as an international Para swimmer.
Hoping to now be able to spend more time with his wife, he has not ruled out returning to the pool for fitness and would one day like to help in a support role at an international Para swimming event or Paralympic Games.
In the short-term, though he looks back with pride on a career which gleaned three Paralympic Games, five Para Swimming World Championships, and a Commonwealth Games silver medal. So how would he like to be remembered?
“I would like to be thought of as someone who always upheld the values of “high performance,” he says. “Otherwise, I just want to be remembered for being a good person or a good friend. In some ways that was to my detriment. I had conversations with sports psychologists who said I needed to be less nice. But I always enjoyed seeing my competition do well, because I knew how much hard work they’d put in too.”
