Paralympian #225 Anna Taylor PLY gave birth to her first child in November last year. Ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday, we catch up with the Paralympic silver medallist to discuss how she is adapting to motherhood and her ambitions heading into the LA28 Paralympic Games.
Anna Taylor insists her time as a Para athlete has prepared her perfectly for life as a mum, and she is relishing the road to LA28, where she hopes to compete at her third Paralympic Games.
The Cambridge-based Para cyclist, who memorably won a silver medal in the Women’s 3000m Individual Pursuit C4 at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, gave birth to her son, Henry, last November and has only recently returned to full training.
With the support of her partner, Frans, Anna feels she is successfully juggling the demands of motherhood alongside those of being a Para athlete.
“There is definitely a bit of a mindset shift as a mum,” Anna explains. “I do have to make sure someone is around to look after Henry when I’m out on the bike. I’m lucky to have that flexibility, with Frans there to support me – it has worked out really well.”
Anna says she does not feel any extra motivation to succeed in her sporting pursuits now that she is a mum. However, by chasing ambitious goals and striving to be the best version of herself each day, she hopes to inspire Henry in the future.
She also has little doubt that being a Para athlete has helped prepare her for life as a mother.
“I grew up able-bodied before getting sick (she recovered from thyroid cancer while on a rowing scholarship at Oregon State University) – and then sustaining an injury (cauda equina syndrome),” she explains. “These were major life changes, and I had to learn how to navigate the world in a new body. Para sport has been key in helping me do that. In much the same way that parenthood is unpredictable, I’ve found that approaching it without expectations – and being ready to embrace whatever challenges arise – has helped shape the kind of mum I am to Henry.”
She is loving life as a mum to Henry – whom she describes as “a happy, contented baby” – and is excited for the journey ahead. At the same time, she has recently returned to something close to full training.
She cycled until 32 weeks pregnant and continued some limited gym work until around 36–38 weeks. After giving birth, she sensibly took a complete six-week break. She then restarted with very gentle exercise around eight weeks postpartum, returning to the stationary bike – an experience she admits came with nerves.
“I had a caesarean with Henry, so I had fairly major abdominal surgery that needed rehab and recovery,” she adds. “I was cautious about not restarting too quickly. That first session back on the bike was only two minutes long, but it was all about rebuilding my confidence.”
Over time, the intensity has gradually increased, and late last month she completed her first track session since giving birth.
“It was terrifying,” she recalls of the session at the outdoor velodrome in Te Awamutu. “I was scared for a week, and I nearly had a small crash at the beginning, but I had to brush it off and get back out there.”
Coached by Brendon Cameron – the Lead Para cycling Coach at Cycling NZ – since early 2025, Anna is now preparing for a change in events following the removal of the individual pursuit from the Paralympic programme. She is now targeting the 1km time trial as her primary event – a significant shift that presents new challenges.
“The pursuit is 12 laps, and the kilo is four laps, so I’m moving from an event that lasts around three-and-a-half to four minutes to one that lasts about 75 seconds. They rely on different energy systems, and with the kilo I’ll be in ‘lactic acid city’ – and probably in even more pain than I experienced in the pursuit.”
Looking ahead to 2026, she admits her “pipe dream” would be to compete at the UCI Para Cycling Track World Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands (29 October–1 November), though she acknowledges it is too early to say.
She plans to race at a national track series event in Cambridge in July to set a benchmark time, after which she will have a clearer idea of her progress.
Anna is also excited by the strength of the New Zealand Para cycling squad, which won a combined 13 medals at the 2025 Para Cycling Track World Championships. This included Siobhan Terry, who claimed two silver and two bronze medals as a C4 Para athlete – the same classification as Anna. Rather than feeling daunted, Anna is inspired by her teammate’s success.
“I’m looking forward to the head-to-head competition,” she says. “I’m all for the development of Para cycling and Para sport in New Zealand. If more Para athletes are succeeding and pushing boundaries on the world stage, that can only be a good thing.”
In the longer term, however, Anna’s main focus is LA28. She made her Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020 and is eager to build towards another Games.
“I’m sure the LA28 Games will be an incredible experience,” she adds. “It is a little too early to get excited, and I still have a lot to tick off, but it is definitely a goal of mine. It would be amazing to have my whole family there cheering me on — including my little boy in the stands.”
