Paralympics: New odds challenge determined Foulsham

GAVIN FOULSHAM is no stranger to defying the odds but can he deliver with his latest challenge?
"Time is definitely against us ... we've only got an eight-month window starting from now and the clock is ticking," said the Hawke's Bay Paralympian as he pondered his quest to row at the 2012 London Paralympics.
Row?
Yes the former wheelchair racer who competed at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics and at Sydney in 2000 (where he finished fifth in the 800m and ninth in the marathon) has turned to rowing. Because of "how able I am" - Foulsham's words (he was born with no fibulas, he had both legs amputated - one above and one below the knee - by the age of 6) he has to compete in the double scull event for rowers "with arms and trunks" and with a female teammate in London.
Foulsham, 39, has teamed up with Putaruru's Jacqui Courtier, a former New Zealand wheelchair basketball teammate of his who has also represented New Zealand at wheelchair tennis. Their first outing together will be during the Hawke's Bay Rowing Club's annual New Year's Regatta at Clive on January 2 and 3.
Only the top eight crews in each of the three classes will qualify for London and Foulsham said he and Courtier must be among the top eight at the Slovenia World Cup meeting in August.
At Slovenia and London, should they qualify, they will race over 1km - the same distance they will tackle at Clive.
"Hawke's Bay and Slovenia are two of the boxes we must tick off along the way. We miss a box and we're straight down to the bottom again," said Foulsham.
The Farmlands National Card manager pointed out the 19 years he spent wheelchair racing, which included the Boston Marathon and the Speight's Coast to Coast multisport event in the South Island, hasn't prepared him for rowing.
"It's a whole new sport ... it's the little things that matter," said Foulsham who finished within four lengths of Danny McBride at a recent Lake Karapiro-hosted regatta.
McBride was a bronze medallist in the adaptive sculling class at last month's world championships at Lake Karapiro.
"I couldn't get the boat moving at the start. I was wearing a cotton singlet as well which wasn't that comfortable ... I must get a Lycra racesuit," said Foulsham, who moved to the Bay with his wife and two children last year.
While the Rohan Condon-coached Foulsham and Courtier are learning a new sport, they know nerves will never become an issue as Foulsham has competed in front of 80,000 people in the past.
"We believe we have got the ability. Should we qualify for London we won't be going for a free trip ... we will be going with the aim of making the podium."
As a wheelchair racer, Foulsham has a best time of 1hr 27min for the marathon.
"Rowing reminds me of my 1500m days when I would stop the clock at 3min 08sec. It's definitely exciting and refreshing," said Foulsham who completed his last wheelchair racing event in 2006.
His New Zealand 800m wheelchair race record was recently broken.
"I don't have any New Zealand records now ... maybe it's time to get some in the boat," said Foulsham, who has been training up to six mornings a week on the water.
"I've just been dabbling. If we're serious we're going to have to step things up to around 14 to 15 hours a week."
Everyone can see Foulsham is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to be at London in 2012. Your's Truly is confident he and Courtier will podium too.
Auckland's High Performance Rowing Centre squad including former Hawke's Bay rowers Giacomo Thomas, Richard Harrison and Abby Green will be in action during the two-day regatta. Clubs from Wanganui, Wellington, Wairoa and Gisborne will attempt to take the Hawke's Bay Cup off the host club. The Hawke's Bay Kayak Racing Club will also stage events on the Monday.