Paralympian #194 Emma Foy admits she has watched her gold medal-winning performances alongside pilot Jessie Hodges at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games “about 50 times on YouTube” since returning home.
And who can blame her?
The Kiwi duo defied expectations to defeat world-class opposition in both the Women’s Tandem B Sprint and Women’s Tandem B 1000m Time Trial, producing a pair of performances that underlined their rapid rise as a partnership.
After qualifying fourth fastest to advance to the semi-finals of the Tandem B Sprint, Emma and Jessie defeated the English pairing of Liz Jordan and Sylvia Misztal 2–0 to progress to the final.
There, they overturned a 1–0 deficit against Australian duo Jessica Gallagher and pilot Jacqueline Mengler-Mohr. A crash in the second race forced a restart, but the New Zealanders held firm to win 2–1 and claim gold.
They then backed up that performance in emphatic fashion, winning the Women’s 1000m Time Trial in 1:06.367.
For Emma, who retired from Para cycling in 2021 before returning to the Para sport in early 2025, the success represented validation.
“I was really happy we could pull off what we have practised,” she explains.
“To win the sprint in such a skilful, gritty and exciting way made for a great story. It is cool for Para sport to be a part of the Commonwealth Games, giving exposure to people who might never have come across it. To be showcased in this way did a lot of good for Para sport.”
Jessie was equally jubilant.
“It was cool to produce some awesome racing,” she says. “It was something to be proud of. It is amazing to have Mum there and then to come home and see the family. My medals are currently with my grandma.”
An unlikely partnership
The pair only came together in 2025, thanks to the foresight of Cycling New Zealand Lead Para cycling Coach Brendon Cameron.
He recognised the rare ability Emma, a multiple world champion and double medallist from the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, still possessed and persuaded her to come out of retirement.
The next piece of the puzzle was finding a quality pilot.
Jessie, who competed in the Madison at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, was asked if she would be interested. It was an opportunity she could not refuse.
“Piloting had not been on my radar, but when Doon (Brendon Cameron) gave me the call it meant a lot to me to help the disabled community,” explains Jessie.
“I had a great uncle with Down syndrome and another uncle who had a serious brain injury following a car accident, so I have personal experience of being around disabled people.
“I still enjoy riding my bike and to be able to continue to do that, meet some new people, and ride on the world stage was a big tick. To ride for Emma, who I know is such a good athlete, was also a big yes.”
The pair first rode together on the tandem on 6 April 2025 – Emma’s 36th birthday.
They enjoyed an immediate connection and quickly set about competing in the national track series in an effort to qualify for the 2025 UCI Para cycling Track World Championships in Rio.
“Every combination takes time to figure out,” explains Emma. “But Jessie and I both had a high-performance background, so we could quickly step into that environment.
“Jessie is an Olympian, so a very skilled bike rider. She is very confident, a great decision-maker and very reactive on the bike, particularly in bunch racing.”
For Jessie, the biggest initial challenge was getting to grips with a tandem.
“Riding a tandem compared to a standard bike is like driving a bus compared to a car,” she says. “The bike feels different. The tandem is much bigger, and you can feel the extra G-force around the bend.
“Anyone can ride a tandem, but to do it well, and at a high level, takes time.”
Finding their rhythm
Riding together in sync is critical to executing the best possible performance.
“It is very important to apply the right pressure at the right time,” says Jessie. “I have learned from Emma that both riders on the tandem need to put in the same amount of effort. It is cool to be able to share the load.”
“To work together with the same output and effort will allow for the smoothest of races and get us to the finish in the best possible way,” adds Emma.
Communication is equally vital.
As Emma’s eyes on the bike, Jessie is responsible for most of the communication between the pair. Sometimes that might be a simple one-word prompt, such as “stand” or “sit”, referring to their preferred position on the bike. At other times, it might be a command relating to the distance behind another rider.
Despite having only been a partnership for a little over six months, the pair delivered an early statement at the 2025 UCI Para cycling Track World Championships in Rio, winning two silver medals.
In the Women’s Tandem B 1000m Time Trial, they finished less than half a second behind the gold medallists from Great Britain in 1:07.228.
They then recorded 4:34.949 in the Women’s Tandem B 4000m Individual Pursuit to finish a little over two seconds shy of gold.
“It was a little unknown how we could go in Rio, and I was a little shocked at how well we did,” says Emma.
“We had such a short period leading into Track Worlds and we hadn’t done much anaerobic work, so to finish only two seconds off the gold medal winners in the pursuit, who set a world record time, was exciting.”
Building towards LA28
The more prolonged period of training together since Rio has served the pair well.
They have developed a greater understanding of each other and built a stronger physical base, combining three road and three track sessions each week with gym work.
But balancing their sporting ambitions with their professional lives has not always been straightforward.
Emma is a full-time Para athlete, while Jessie works full-time as an estate agent. The understanding of Jessie’s employers, combined with a flexible approach from Emma and coach Brendon Cameron, has helped make the partnership work.
“It can be hectic and on the trip to Glasgow I had a property go live when I was overseas,” explains Jessie.
“I’ve had a few hiccups with training, but it has been a real team effort to make it happen. My life is all go, but I think I’m a better person when I’m busy.”
The road to Apeldoorn
Following their memorable Glasgow campaign, the pair were hoping to turn their attention to the UCI Para cycling Road World Championships in Huntsville, Alabama which takes place from 5-8 September NZT.
However, Jessie has picked up unfortunate bout of flu and the pair have withdrawn from the event.
Attention will turn to the track and the UCI Para cycling Track World Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, in late October-early November.
There, they will target the Women’s Tandem B Sprint, Women’s Tandem B 1000m Time Trial and Women’s Tandem B 4000m Individual Pursuit.
While both athletes are now in the second phase of their respective sporting journeys, they are fully embracing the challenge – and already relishing the prospect of the LA28 Paralympic Games.
“I feel really privileged to have tasted both able-bodied and Para sport,” says Jessie. “Both have been cool and have brought different joys. I am very lucky to have experienced both.”
For Emma, the motivation is simple.
“I like training and working towards a challenging goal,” she says. “I have one more goal to reach – to win a Paralympic gold medal.
“I want to continue to push the limits with tandem cycling with Jessie and see how fast the tandem can go.”
***Main image Credit: SWPix.com
