Mitch Joynt has always loved sport. As a child growing up near Warkworth, he was either watching it, playing it, or tracking the statistics of teams which he followed. Growing up, he would practice place kicks or drop goals for hours most days at his old primary school rugby field.
In 2013, Mitch had an accident at work which resulted in him having his right leg amputated below the knee. He had to learn to walk again. He credits his attitude as the number one tool for getting through that period.
Mitch wanted to get back into sport as soon as he could. He was introduced to the world of Para sport by a coach who spotted him doing the Auckland Marathon in 2017. He tried javelin, long jump, sprinting and even Para snowboarding, eventually becoming a sprinter. His preferred event is the 200m.
Proud moments at the World Para Athletics Championships
In 2019 Mitch went to the World Athletics Championships. One of Mitch’s proudest sporting moments was making the 200m final at his first World Championships.
At the next World Championships in 2023, Mitch did even better, earning a dramatic bronze medal in the T64 200m. He blitzed to an Oceania record time of 23.32 (-0.3) and seized his medal opportunity after Paralympic champion Sherman Guity – in the running for gold at the time – tripped and fell just metres from the finish line.
Mitch is national 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m T64 record-holder and in the latter event he is world record-holder following his 2:17.22 clocking in Auckland in 2022.
He earned selection to the NZ Paralympic Team in 2024.
Mitch now lives in Millwater.
