A member of intake one of the Para Sport Collective, supported by ACC, Para swimmer James Haydon is looking forward to the biggest competition of his life at the Virtus World Swimming Championships in Bangkok, Thailand in August 2025. We chat to the teenage Kiwi about his journey and the pivotal role his chosen Para sport has played in his rise on to the international stage.
Instilling confidence and giving purpose and meaning to his life, Para swimming has made a seismic impact in the life of James Haydon. The 18-year-old Aucklander, who has both an intellectual impairment and ADHD, has endured a challenging journey at times, but his “love of the water” coupled with his swimming ability has helped elevate James to a higher plane.
“Para swimming has given James heaps of confidence,” explains mum, Rachel. “Once we couldn’t even drop him off for training and leave him there without me staying. If he was swimming at a new pool, we had to take him the day before to have a look around and check where everything was, but we rarely have to do that now. Today he even does a bit of coaching to teach the youngsters how to swim, which is amazing.”
Based in Penrose, mum Rachel said from a young age it was hard to keep James “on task.” He would struggle to sit down to watch a movie, while processing more than one instruction at a time was tough.
However, following his diagnosis for an intellectual impairment and ADHD, James’ learning challenges made sense to Rachel and once he started taking ADHD medication, this aided his focus.
Aged 11 he recalls a family holiday to Whakatane when he asked his dad Mike, to teach him how to swim as the genesis of his Para swimming journey. Meanwhile, the spark to start competitive Para swimming began following a speaking visit by Paralympian #164 Cameron Leslie MNZM to Rachel’s workplace at Fisher and Paykel in 2019.
“It was here that Cameron explained how Para swimming and Para athletics were the only two sports which ran events for the intellectually disabled athletes at the Paralympic Games,” says Rachel. “When I spoke to Cam about my son, he said I should start Para swimming through Parafed Auckland (now Disability Sport Auckland).”
It proved to be an inspired decision. James was a natural in the water and coach Shaun Foley recommended he join Parnell Swim Club – which boasts an excellent reputation for supporting Para swimmers.
Training four times a week under the guidance of Sam Caradus, he continued to progress, and he recalls the buzz of receiving a ribbon for posting a Personal Best at his first competition at Henderson’s West Wave Pool.
“It was terrifying,” he said of his debut competition. “At first it was too noisy, but I put on some headphones to block everything out. I was excited to win my first ribbon, and I liked how the team supported me. It motivated me to go faster.”
Later coached by Khaled El-Saiedy, a former national representative for Egypt, James memorably struck gold in the multi-class 100m breaststroke at the 2022 New Zealand Swimming Championships – his first gold medal ever at the event.
Showing a natural aptitude for breaststroke, he recalls with bemusement at winning his first national medal.
“I was not expecting a gold, a silver or a bronze medal, so I was shocked to swim that fast,” explains James, who insists he is suited to the breaststroke for several reasons.
“Someone once said my back was curved the right way for breaststroke and my kick is more powerful in breaststroke than freestyle,” he explains. “I have a very slow free(style) kick.”
After Khaled returned to Egypt, James changed clubs to his current coach, Mitch Nairn of Club 37 in late 2023. Part of a powerhouse training group, which includes world 400m individual medley champion Lewis Clareburt and Commonwealth 50m backstroke champion Andrew Jeffcoat, James combines six on-water sessions per week with two gym sessions at the Mount Albert Aquatic Centre and he has thrived in the high-performance environment.
James adds of Mitch: “His attitude is always positive, he is very inclusive and treats me just like any other swimmer. I’ve now got heaps of good friends in the group like Lewis and Andrew – all my best mates are in the swimming world.”
The confidence of the former Selwyn College student has been further boosted by his experiences as an intake-one participant on the Para Sport Collective, believing he gained invaluable knowledge from the programme.
“The Collective was so helpful in terms of nutrition and media training and I met so many cool athletes like (Paralympian #233) Louise Duncan and Jaden Movold, the wheelchair racer.”
At last month’s New Zealand Swimming Championships in Auckland, James executed a series of consistent performances and earned selection for the Virtus World Swimming Championships in Thailand.
On his future ambitions James said: “I would like to get as close as I can to 1:10 for the Men’s 100m Breaststroke S14 which would be a time quick enough to be in the mix for future Paralympic Games.”
Boasting a current 100m breaststroke PB of 1:15, he is pursuing selection in the Men’s 200m Freestyle S14 at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026.
Whatever the future holds, however, there is little doubt the positive role Para swimming has made in James’ life.
“Aside from confidence, it has given him a purpose,” adds mum, Rachel. “Schooling was difficult. One primary school teacher told me James would reach his potential at the age of six. But he has proved them wrong. He finished school with a level three NCEA. He coaches able-bodied swimmers through Waterlions Swim School and worked at Eden Park through Disability Sport Auckland selling tickets and driving the cart on the field. The Para Sport Collective too has been great, offering him a network and support. It is amazing the opportunities he has had through Para swimming.”
For James the water is his “happy place.”
“Since jumping into the Ocean off poppa’s boat, I have always loved the water,” he says. “I am in water every day. I call it my second home.”
***If you would like to find out more about Para swimming go here.
