Triathlon: Nicole van der Kaay's Olympic selection a dream come true

Taupō triathlete Nicole van der Kaay, 25, has been selected to compete at the Tokyo Olympics later this month. Photo / Greg Bowker, NZ Herald

It's the peak of sporting achievement and also a dream come true for triathlete Nicole van der Kaay.

Nicole, 25, is set to become Taupō's newest Olympian after Tri NZ announced on Monday that she will be one of the four-strong elite triathlon team representing New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympic Games. She will compete in the women's individual triathlon and the mixed team relay triathlon.

Nicole already holds a Commonwealth Games bronze medal from the mixed relay team event in 2018 and was the top Kiwi female and seventh overall in the individual triathlon on the Gold Coast. She is currently in Cairns at a training camp and heads to Japan on July 20.

Nicole says being named for the Olympics was her childhood dream.

"It's both the culmination of a dream and a stepping stone on a journey," she says.

This particular step has come a year later than expected. Nicole had always been aiming for selection in 2020 but the Olympics were postponed last year due to Covid-19. Nicole was in Australia at the time and had to head home to Taupō before the borders closed.

"Obviously it was a bit of a disappointment but, with what was going on in the world, totally understandable, and I was happy to be back in New Zealand.

"I had a really good training block and worked on some things and took my time. I was coming back from injury [a stress fracture in her shin in 2019] and it was nice to be able to have more time to build back to full fitness."

Nicole competing in the Surfbreaker Triathlon, Mt Maunganui, in 2018. Photo / Andrew Warner

Normally, Nicole is based in Cambridge where she trains at the Tri NZ High-Performance Centre. She has also been studying extramurally around her training and has just graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology.

She says when it came to being selected for the Olympic squad, she just had to do the best she could and, from there, it was out of her hands.

"I didn't really worry because it's a decision that someone else makes and it was what it will be. I was lucky that they chose me and I was very thankful and grateful."

Nicole first developed a love of triathlon around the age of 10 after competing in the Ironkidz event. At Taupō Intermediate she was encouraged to pursue sports and she says when she went to college she knew triathlon was her passion.

"It's all I really wanted to do. I really just loved sport and then got myself a coach [Cameron Durno] and started training from there and kind of stepped up and followed the pathways and started to race nationally and internationally."

Nicole starts her bike leg in the Women's Triathlon during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Photo / Greg Bowker NZ Herald

Nicole's had her two Covid-19 vaccines and says although she's excited about going to Japan - "I love the food and the people, it's a cool place" - it's disappointing that there won't be the usual opportunities to mingle with other athletes.

It's also sad that her family - John, Anna, and older brothers Ryan and Cameron - won't be able to go to watch her compete. She says they were "pretty excited" about her selection.

"Excited and proud and very happy, they know I've been working for this for a long time. It takes a special family to look out for an athlete because it's not always the easiest road and there's not a lot of funding. I'm very lucky that they are very supportive of this and my choices."

Nicole also was grateful for the support of Phil and Cheryl London, the Team Taupō scholarships which kept her in clothes and shoes during her college years and the Taupō-nui-a-Tia College high-performance sports squad.

Taupō-nui-a-Tia College principal Peter Moyle says the school is delighted for its former head girl. He said Nicole was always very focused and worked hard to balance school, sport and other commitments.

"She managed to have a full-time training regime and still fulfil her leadership role in the school and also still achieve at a high academic level.

"We do track how she's going and she's had her ups and downs with injuries but overriding that she's a really lovely-natured human being, not an ounce of pretence about her at all."

Cam Durno coached Nicole for seven years and says his role was mostly to provide direction and clarity while also looking after her health and wellbeing.

"She really enjoyed the training side of it, she loved exercising and she's got a strong competitive spirit so she loves to compete. She always just wants to keep getting better.

"In many ways, she advanced so fast that I almost couldn't keep up."

Nicole needed a full-time coach after leaving school and is now coached by Stephen Sheldrake, but she and Cam keep in touch and she messaged him after being selected.

"I'm very proud of her," Cam said. "She is just a really, really nice person. She is humble and kind and thoughtful."

Steve Currie is the president of Tri Sport Taupō, the local triathlon club, which Nicole still belongs to. She is a regular competitor at the club's annual Kinloch Triathlon. Steve remembers her as an initially shy young girl but she soon came out of her shell and it was obvious she had a lot of potential.

"We are all very excited for Nicole and we will be watching with interest."

Nicole is Taupō's second Olympic triathlete after Bevan Docherty, also a former Tri Sport Taupō member, competed at the Athens and Beijing Olympics, bringing home silver and bronze medals.