Rotorua's Kane Radford had to come through a tough battle to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. PHOTO/FILE
Rotorua's Kane Radford had to come through a tough battle to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. PHOTO/FILE
Rotorua has celebrated much sporting success over the course of this year and with the festive period in full swing Rotorua Daily Post sports reporter Ruth Dacey selects her top local athlete, team and highlights of 2016.
Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, "If you're going through hell, keep going."
And this dogged determination in the face of adversity is precisely why I have selected Kane Radford as my top Rotorua athlete of the year.
On August 15 Radford become the country's first Olympic open water swimmer when he suited up off the Copacabana coastline for the 10km race at the Rio Olympics.
But the former John Paul College student nearly didn't even make it on the plane to Brazil as part of the New Zealand Olympic team after having to appeal to the Sports Tribunal against Swimming New Zealand's initial non-nomination.
Radford said competing in Rio was the highlight of his year after battling through "two weeks of hell" to get there.
"Getting the phone call to say that I was going on the plane to Rio after two weeks of pure hell was an amazing feeling," he told the Rotorua Daily Post.
"It was a very difficult mental battle but support, especially from back home in Rotorua, kept me going and the appeal system is there for a reason and thankfully it's come out with the right decision in the end."
Radford finished 19th but was only 19 seconds behind the winner, Ferry Weertman of the Netherlands.
Kane Radford become New Zealand's first Olympic open water swimmer when he competed at the Rio Olympics. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
The local swimmer described his Rio experience as "out of this world" but admitted he was left with a "bitter-sweet feeling".
"Being in Rio was an amazing experience" he said. "But looking back I'm not completely happy with my result - I walked away from the race thinking - what would have happened if I had been backed by Swimming New Zealand from the start and had all the support that all the other athletes that were in that race had?
"I had to go through hell in the last couple of months leading up to the race. That's not exactly the best preparation is it?"
Radford made his thoughts clear to Swimming New Zealand in a debrief post Olympics.
Radford, who trains at Perth's Claremont Aquatic Centre, is still a member of Swim Rotorua and president Henry Weston said the club was delighted with the swimmer's performance at the Olympics.
"It was just extraordinary, there was nothing between them at all," said Weston. "Radford is an inspiration - he battled hard for his place and his sort of determination is something that our young swimmers here and across the country should look up to."
TOP ATHLETE: Olympic swimmer Kane Radford pictured visiting St Mary's Catholic School where he spoke of his experiences in Rio and thanked the students of for their support. PHOTO/FILE
Radford revealed a permanent reminder of his Olympic experience he had inked on his right forearm post Rio.
"I had to get the iconic Olympic rings tattooed on," he said. "Competing in the Olympics and representing your country is the greatest achievement you can have as an athlete."
The future for Radford is uncertain especially after High Performance Sport New Zealand revealed its funding for the first half of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle recently.
Swimming lost $400,000 in annual funding and will receive $900,000 over the next two years as its Olympic medal drought stretched to a 20th year.
Radford said he was "in the dark" about specific funding for open water swimming but new beginnings may be on the cards. He recently joined Mermaids surf lifesaving club on the Gold Coast.
"I could make a permanent change to surf lifesaving. I'm loving my time at the moment with Mermaids but my main passion and love will always be in swimming. I hope my story can inspire more into the sport and help swimming push forward in New Zealand."
