Scott’s story: Dreaming of the Paralympics podium
The support of ACC helped Scott Martlew recover from a life-changing injury, which claimed his left leg and very nearly his life. Now he’s about to compete in his third Paralympic Games and has unfinished business.
Paralympian Scott Martlew remembers waking up in intensive care in agony.
He was in total disbelief that his leg was gone and scared for his future.
That was 14 years ago. Now the 31-year-old from Christchurch is heading to his third Paralympics Games in Paris.
It took a few seconds out on the water for Scott to know he was going to be okay.
The 17-year-old was in a kayak for the first time since his life-changing injury. He wasn’t sure how he was going to balance or paddle but, after a few tentative strokes, he was away.
In 2010, the former lock or blindside flanker for the Shirley Boys’ High School First XV had his dream come true when he played in a curtain-raiser to a Crusaders versus Brumbies Super Rugby game.
“I played pretty well,” he says.
“I scored the last try of the game which was a cool moment. Some of the details after that are a bit hazy.”
That dream turned into a nightmare when he had an injury and suffered a life-threatening infection in his leg.
He was in intensive care at Christchurch Hospital battling necrotising fasciitis – a serious bacterial infection that results in the death of the body’s soft tissue. It claimed his left leg, part of his buttock, and very nearly his life as he lay in an induced coma.
“I knew it was life and death,” his dad Brent says, fighting back the tears. “I wondered if we were ever going to see him alive again.”
Daring to dream big
Lying on the hospital bed and coming to terms with his new reality, the sports-mad teenager set himself some goals. He dared to dream big.
“Looking back at how far I’ve come, I’m proud of myself,” he says.
“I’m proud of my achievements but I’m also very thankful for the support I’ve had over my journey since that day.”
Scott is about to represent New Zealand in Paris at his third Paralympics.
If someone had said to the 17-year-old Scott that he would go on to have an elite-level sporting career, he reckons he would have believed them.
“I always thought it was possible. From that moment, I set myself some big goals of where I wanted to go,” he says.
“That moment of getting in a boat for the first time was a big one. It gave me huge belief that I could do this again and then I got really excited about getting back into sport.”
Scott was in hospital for four weeks after his operation. He says ACC has been a huge help in his recovery.
“They’ve been there in every step of my journey and that support helped me to start again,” he says.
Wearing the silver fern with pride
Scott’s coach, Leigh Barker, says people don’t understand that your power comes from your legs in paddling.
“Scott has one leg so he’s working at 50 per cent capacity, but keeping up with able-bodied athletes,” Leigh says.
“Some of the guys he trains with are among the best in the world.”
Scott says it’s still a huge buzz to be named in the New Zealand Paralympics team, and he has a big family contingent traveling to support him in Paris.
“There’s nothing quite like that feeling when you’re competing for your country with the silver fern on your chest.”
But he also has unfinished business.
In Tokyo, he came painfully close to claiming a bronze medal in the KL2 para canoe and had to settle for fourth place. It’s a result that’s motivated him every day since.
“I’ve definitely allowed myself to dream of standing on the podium,” he says.
“That would mean the world to me, and it’s been my main driving force these past three years.”
Expecting the unexpected
Scott says every Paralympic Games is different. He learnt a huge amount on his debut in Rio in 2016 and then the COVID-impacted Tokyo Games were a completely different experience.
He says his experience has taught him to expect the unexpected.
“At any time leading into the racing, I know there could be a curveball or something you need to overcome,” he says.
“It’s about being ready for that and trusting your preparation. As much as you can, you need to focus on your performance.”
Scott was unwell going into the Paracanoe World Championships in Szeged, Hungary in May. He won his heat but faded in the final to finish in eighth place. He has a clear expectation of what it’s going to take to medal.
“It all depends on the conditions,” he says. “If it’s fast conditions, it’s going be low 40s. So I’ve got those targets in mind.”
He’s spending the final weeks of his preparation for Paris in Italy. Scott and Pete Cowan, who’s making his Paralympics debut, met up with Lisa Carrington and the New Zealand Olympic paddlers at their training camp.
‘Nothing could stop me’
Trying to medal at the pinnacle event in his sport is a long way from where Scott has been.
He appreciated the support of some of the Crusaders players during his rehabilitation.
All Blacks Ryan Crotty and George Whitelock visited him during his stay in hospital and have stayed in touch.
A few weeks later, he attended an All Blacks training in Christchurch and met captain Richie McCaw and Dan Carter. It was a special moment which gave him hope of better things to come.
“Those experiences meant a lot to me,” he says.
From early on, he had a lot of people around him who were a great support.
He encourages people living with a disability to be brave.
“I set myself some goals, small steps to get back into sport and then, once I was amongst it, nothing could stop me really,” he says.
“I didn’t think too much about what had happened – I thought more about what I could make of this.”
Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
The 2024 Paralympic Games take place in Paris from 28 August to 8 September, you can follow the action live on TVNZ.
Para Sport Collective
ACC has a community partnership with Paralympics NZ, including supporting the Para Sport Collective.
The collective is a three-year initiative created by Paralympics NZ that supports pre-high performance Para athletes and coaches to achieve their goals.
More information is available on the Paralympics NZ website.
