Rising Para swimmer Izzy Thurlow will feature in intake three of the Para Sport Collective, supported by ACC. Ahead of the first in-person camp, taking place at AUT Millennium in Auckland on November 21-22, we catch up with the emerging talent to discuss her sporting journey and how she hopes the Collective will make a difference.
Following her recovery from osteosarcoma – an aggressive form of bone cancer – Izzy was determined to find her way back into sport. Although her cancer treatment left her with an acquired disability, it also marked the beginning of a new chapter in her sporting journey.
Before cancer, Izzy was active across a range of sports, but swimming was where she excelled. A promising school-age swimmer, she won national age-group medals and earned selection in the New Zealand open water squad. So, when she was eligible to compete in Para swimming following her recovery, returning to the pool was a natural choice for the 22-year-old.
“It was an easy choice for me considering I used to swim,” says Izzy. “When I finished chemo at the end of last year, I wanted to do something physically to feel myself again and that choice was to return to the pool.”
Classified in the SB9 category, Izzy made an immediate impression at the New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships in Christchurch, winning gold in both the multi-class women’s 50m and 100m breaststroke, in times of 39.23 and 1:29.19 respectively.
She is now hoping to gain classification in backstroke, freestyle and butterfly – the events she considers her stronger strokes – on the Gold Coast in February. It could be the next significant step in her Para swimming journey.
With the LA28 Paralympic Games on the horizon, the Christchurch-based athlete has set herself an ambitious long-term goal.
“I’ve always set goals for myself and if I’m going to do Para swimming properly, I know I need to fully commit,” she says. “I would love one day to compete internationally and qualify for a Paralympic Games.”
Raised in Nelson, Izzy enjoyed an outdoors upbringing, taking part in hockey, netball, adventure racing, horse riding and running. But it was swimming, with the Tasman Swim Club, where she found her greatest success.
The second eldest of four children, she trained in the pool nine times a week in addition to dry land sessions and competed successfully on the national stage across a range of distances and strokes.
However, while in Year 12 at Waimea College, Izzy decided to step away from competitive swimming to focus on school and other interests. Even so, the water was never far away.
“After finishing school, I went down to Dunedin for a year to study health science,” she explains. “There I started group fitness instructing at Les Mills but also trained and completed a half-ironman so I was back in the pool once again!”
In 2024, she transferred to Ara Institute of Canterbury to study medical imaging, continuing to lead an active lifestyle. Later that year, however, she began experiencing pain in her leg.
Initially dismissing the discomfort, Izzy eventually sought medical advice and was told she had a torn muscle. Unconvinced by the diagnosis, she visited a physiotherapist, who referred her for an X-ray. An ultrasound, MRI, CT scan and biopsy followed.
In early 2025, she received the unexpected news that she had osteosarcoma in her fibula, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.
“It was hard news to digest, crazy,” she recalls. “I did a year of treatment which sucked.”
Two surgeries and an extended course of chemotherapy made for a challenging period. Yet throughout treatment, Izzy tried to maintain a positive outlook and find ways to keep moving forward.
“I still really can’t believe it happened, but you can’t control these things,” says Izzy, who was supported by her family and boyfriend throughout treatment. “I tried to go outside even on days when I didn’t feel great. I did a personal training course during treatment, which gave me a focus and something to do. I was also very fortunate to have a great support system thanks to friends, family and boyfriend.”
Now cancer-free, Izzy can look to the future with renewed optimism. However, surgery to remove her fibula left her with a foot drop – a condition that makes it difficult to lift her foot.
Even with a splint, walking can be a struggle.
Aware of Para swimming as a potential pathway, in May Izzy connected with Paralympian #49 Roly Crichton ONZM in her adopted home of Christchurch. The coach of Paralympian #166 Dame Sophie Pascoe PLY DNZM, New Zealand’s most decorated Paralympian, Roly was quick to offer encouragement.
After speaking with Paralympian #164 Cameron Leslie PLY MNZM, Swimming NZ’s Disability and Para Swimming Participation Manager, Izzy explored her classification options and formally began her Para swimming journey.
She now trains in the pool five times a week and spends another three sessions in the gym. Recently joining Wharenui Swim Club – home to fellow Para swimmers Paralympian #235 Lili-Fox Mason and Brooke Anderson – she has embraced the supportive environment under coach Jack Ward and is excited about what lies ahead.
Adapting to swimming with her acquired disability has, however, required some technical changes.
“When I first jumped in the pool post-surgery it felt like I had a dead leg, and I had to make some adjustments,” she explains. “While previously I used to dive in with my left leg forward and now I dive in with my left leg back.”
Balancing her training with full-time medical imaging studies and part-time work as a gym receptionist is no easy feat. But with her sights set on international competition, Izzy is relishing the opportunity to join the Para Sport Collective.
“As I’m so new to the Para sport world, I did not expect an invite to be part of the Collective,” she explains. “I feel very lucky to have been chosen. I can’t wait to meet the other Para athletes on the Collective and to find out more about the high performance environment. I feel very grateful to be given the opportunity.”
