Sophie Pascoe

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Dame Sophie Pascoe

| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=NZL|size=100%|DNZM}}

| image = Sophie Pascoe DNZM (cropped).jpg

| caption = Pascoe in 2022

| fullname = Sophie Frances Pascoe

| nicknames =

| country = New Zealand

| citizenship =

| strokes =

| classification = S10, SB9, SM10

| club = QEII Swim Club

| coach = Roly Crichton (2001–2022)

| collegeteam =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1993|01|08}}

| birth_place = Christchurch, New Zealand

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{NZL}} }}

{{MedalCount

|Paralympic Games|11|7|1

|World Championships (LC)|12|4|4

|World Championships (SC)|4|0|3

|Commonwealth Games|5|0|0

|Total|32|11|8

}}

{{Medal | Gold | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 200 m individual medley SM10}}

{{Medal | Silver | 2010 Eindhoven | 200 m individual medley SM10}}

{{Medal | Gold | 2009 Rio de Janeiro | 100 m individual medley SM10}}

{{Medal | Gold | 2009 Rio de Janeiro | 200 m individual medley SM10}}

{{Medal | Bronze | 2009 Rio de Janeiro | 100 m breaststroke SB9}}

{{Medal | Gold | 2018 Gold Coast | 200 m individual medley SM10}}

| show-medals = no

| updated =

}}

Dame Sophie Frances Pascoe {{postnominals|country=NZL|DNZM}} (born 8 January 1993){{cite web |url=http://beijing.sparc.org.nz/nz-athletes/paralympic-athletes/aquatics.htm |title=Paralympic Athletes – Swimming |access-date=12 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014060904/http://beijing.sparc.org.nz/nz-athletes/paralympic-athletes/aquatics.htm |archive-date=14 October 2008}} is a retired New Zealand para-swimmer. She represented New Zealand at four Summer Paralympic Games from 2008, winning a total of eleven gold medals, seven silver medals and one bronze medal, making her New Zealand's most successful Paralympian. She also represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games.{{cite news |first=Tony |last=Smith |date=13 September 2016 |title=Sophie Pascoe keeps her promise, while taking Paralympics mainstream in NZ |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/84201188/sophie-pascoe-keeps-her-promise-while-taking-paralympics-mainstream-in-nz |publisher=Stuff |access-date=13 September 2016}}

Early life

Born in Christchurch on 8 January 1993 to Garry and Jo Pascoe, Pascoe grew up on a lifestyle block near Halswell on the south-western outskirts of the city. She has one older sister, Rebecca. On 23 September 1995,{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/9294108/Sophie-Pascoes-stroke-of-fate |title=Sophie Pascoe's stroke of fate |publisher=The Dominion Post |pages=Your Weekend 8–10 |date=19 October 2013 |access-date=19 October 2013}} Pascoe was accidentally run over by her father on the family ride-on lawnmower. As a result of the accident, her left leg was amputated below the knee, while the rear of her right leg was left with severe scarring.{{cite news |title=No limits |first=Michael |last=Forbes |date=8 September 2012 |newspaper=The Dominion Post |page=A8}}{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10532507 |title=Paralympics: My disability inspired me – Sophie |first=Jarrod |last=Booker |publisher=The New Zealand Herald |date=17 September 2008 |access-date=29 August 2012}}{{cite web |title=Sophie Pascoe a moving target at Paralympics |first=Fred |last=Woodcock |publisher=Fairfax Media (via Stuff.co.nz) |date=29 August 2012 |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/7566319/Pascoe-a-moving-target-at-London-Paralympics |access-date=29 August 2012}} She attended Halswell Primary School, and Lincoln High School in the nearby Christchurch satellite town of Lincoln.

Pascoe began swimming at the age of 7, and from the age of 8 up until 2022, was coached by Roly Crichton.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/300556480/im-so-proud-dame-sophie-pascoe-splits-with-longtime-coach-roly-crichton |title='I'm so proud': Dame Sophie Pascoe splits with longtime coach Roly Crichton |work=Stuff |date=1 April 2022 |access-date=2 April 2022}} She trains at the QEII swim club, which has been based at Jellie Park in Burnside since the facilities at Queen Elizabeth II Park were damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/7566838/Darling-of-Beijing-faces-big-task/ |title=Darling of Beijing faces big task |first=Fred |last=Woodcock |publisher=The Press Christchurch (via Stuff.co.nz) |date=29 August 2012 |access-date=9 September 2012}}

Swimming career

Pascoe is classified S10 for freestyle, backstroke and butterfly, SB9 for breaststroke, and SM10 for individual medley.{{cite web |title=Classification Master List, Summer Season 2016 – New Zealand |url=https://db.ipc-services.org/sdms/web/cml/sw/html/season/S16/npc/NZL |publisher=IPC Swimming |access-date=13 September 2016}}

At the 2008 Summer Paralympics, Pascoe won a gold and a silver medal for the 100 m breaststroke and 100 m butterfly respectively and later a gold for the women's 200 m individual medley.{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/4689575a1823.html |title=Second gold for Pascoe in the pool |date=12 September 2008 |access-date=12 September 2008}} Pascoe then shared a gold medal for the 100 m backstroke when she drew with South African Shireen Sapiro.{{cite web |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/417227/2074220 |title=Gold and silver for NZ swimmers |publisher=NZPA |date=14 September 2008 |access-date=14 September 2008}} At 15 years of age, Pascoe was New Zealand's youngest athlete at the Paralympics,{{cite web |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/417227/2068983 |title=Pascoe wins gold for grandad |publisher=TVNZ |date=11 September 2008 |access-date=12 September 2008}} and the youngest ever New Zealander to win a medal.{{cite web |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/417227/2064492 |title=Kiwi teen takes silver |publisher=TVNZ |date=9 September 2008 |access-date=12 September 2008}}

Following the 2008 Paralympics, Pascoe was voted New Zealand's favourite Paralympian in a nationwide voting competition run by Mitsubishi Motors. For this she won a Mitsubishi VRX Outlander.{{cite web |url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0809/S00291.htm |title=Golden girl voted NZ's favourite Paralympian |publisher=Mitsubishi Motors (via Scoop.co.nz) |date=19 September 2008 |access-date=9 September 2012}} Pascoe was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2009 New Year's Honours, for services to swimming.{{cite web |url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2009 |title=New Year Honours List 2009 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |date=31 December 2008 |access-date=18 February 2025}} In February 2012, Pascoe became the inaugural winner of the Disabled Sportsperson of the Year award at the 2011 Halberg Awards.{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/6393052/All-Blacks-stars-of-show-at-Halberg-Awards |title=All Blacks stars of show at Halberg Awards |first=Simon |last=Plumb |publisher=Fairfax Media (via Stuff.co.nz) |date=9 February 2012 |access-date=9 September 2012}}

At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Pascoe competed in six events – the four in which she won medals at the 2008 Paralympics, plus the 50m freestyle (S10) and 100m freestyle (SM10) events. She successfully defended her 200 m individual medley (SM10) gold medal, breaking her own world record by four seconds with a time of 2:25.65.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10830695 |title=Paralympics: NZ's golden start |publisher=The New Zealand Herald |date=31 August 2012 |access-date=1 September 2012}} She also won gold medals in the 100 m butterfly (S10), where she bettered her silver at Beijing and in the process setting a new world record with a time of 1:04.43,{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/7596127/Pascoe-wins-second-gold-in-London-pool |title=Pascoe wins second gold in London pool |publisher=Fairfax Media (via Stuff.co.nz) |date=2 September 2012 |access-date=2 September 2012}} and in the 100 m freestyle (S10), setting a new Paralympic record with a time of 1:00.89.{{cite news |title=Paralympics: Pascoe claims third gold despite illness |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10832428 |access-date=7 September 2012 |publisher=New Zealand Herald |date=7 September 2012}} Pascoe won silver medals in the 50 m freestyle (S10),{{cite news |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/othersports-news/medal-rush-continues-pascoe-fisher-5055957 |title=Medal rush continues for Pascoe, Fisher |publisher=Television New Zealand |date=1 September 2012 |access-date=1 September 2012}} 100 m backstroke (S10),{{cite news |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/othersports-news/pascoe-wins-silver-loses-paralympic-title-5063460 |title=Pascoe wins silver, loses Paralympic title |publisher=Television New Zealand |date=5 September 2012 |access-date=5 September 2012}} and 100 m breaststroke (SB9).{{cite news |title=Sixth medal for Sophie Pascoe |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Sixth-medal-for-Sophie-Pascoe/tabid/1697/articleID/268593/Default.aspx |publisher=3 News |date=9 September 2012 |access-date=9 September 2012}}

In March 2013, Pascoe broke her own world record for the 50m butterfly at the New Zealand Swimming Championships in Auckland, setting a time of 29.21 seconds.{{cite news |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Kiwis-Pascoe-Fisher-set-world-records/tabid/415/articleID/290864/Default.aspx |work=3 News NZ |title=Kiwis Pascoe, Fisher set world records |date=19 March 2013}}{{cite news |url=http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/news/article/-/16394227/boyle-shatters-national-record/ |work=Yahoo!Xtra |title=Paralympic stars in world-beating form |date=19 March 2013}}

At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Pascoe competed in five events, dropping the 100 m breaststroke SB9. She won gold medals in the 100 m backstroke, 100 m butterfly and 200 m individual medley, the latter in world record time. She also won silver medals in the 50 m freestyle and 100 m freestyle, both behind Canada's Aurélie Rivard. Her 50 m freestyle medal holds the distinction as the 200th medal won by New Zealand at the Paralympic Games (both summer and winter editions).{{cite news |title=Rio Paralympics: New Zealand claim four medals in an hour on scintillating second day of competition |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/84122328/Rio-Paralympics-Sophie-Pascoe-wins-New-Zealands-200th-Paralympic-medal-on-second-day-of-competition |author= |date=10 September 2016 |publisher=Stuff |access-date=10 September 2016}} Her success took her gold medal count to nine and her total medal count to 15, overtaking Eve Rimmer's eight gold medals and 14 total medals to become New Zealand's most successful Paralympian.

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, she competed in the Women's 100 metre breaststroke SB8, winning the silver medal,{{Cite web |title=Tokyo Paralympics 2020: Sophie Pascoe claims silver for New Zealand's first medal |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/tokyo-paralympics-2020-sophie-pascoe-claims-silver-for-new-zealands-first-medal/HMK6HUGP6LMLDQ7VXG3WW6IXW4/ |access-date=2021-08-30 |website=The New Zealand Herald |date=25 August 2021 |language=en-NZ}} and Women's 100 metre backstroke S9, winning the bronze medal.{{Cite web |title=Swimming - PASCOE Sophie - Tokyo 2020 Paralympics |url=https://tokyo2020.org/paralympic-games/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n1616457-pascoe-sophie.htm |access-date=2021-08-30 |website=Tokyo2020.org |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |language=en-us}}

In the 2022 New Year Honours, Pascoe was promoted to Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to swimming.{{cite news |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-year-honours-the-full-list-of-2022/EOKFR77H542D647EWBSCHNSBKI/ |title=New Year Honours: the full list of 2022 |date=31 December 2021 |work=New Zealand Herald |access-date=31 December 2021}}

Pascoe announced her retirement on 30 January 2025.{{cite web|url=https://olympic.org.nz/news/dame-sophie-pascoe-announces-her-retirement-from-competitive-swimming|title=Dame Sophie Pascoe announces her Retirement from Competitive Swimming|date=30 January 2025|access-date=31 January 2025}}

Personal bests

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
Event ! Time ! Date ! Location ! Notes
50 m freestyle (S10) \| style="text-align:right;"\| 27.78 \| 18 August 2013 \| Montreal, Canada \| {{Abbr\|AR\|Area (continental) record}}
200 m freestyle (S10) \| style="text-align:right;"\| 2:12.35 \| 19 December 2015 \| Auckland, New Zealand \| {{Abbr\|AR\|Area (continental) record}}
50 m backstroke (S10) \| style="text-align:right;"\| 31.62 \| 10 August 2014 \| Auckland, New Zealand \| {{Abbr\|AR\|Area (continental) record}}
100 m backstroke (S10) \| style="text-align:right;"\| 1:05.95 \| 17 August 2013 \| Montreal, Canada \| {{Abbr\|AR\|Area (continental) record}}
100 m breaststroke (SB9) \| style="text-align:right;"\| 1:17.53 \| 14 August 2013 \| Montreal, Canada \| {{Abbr\|AR\|Area (continental) record}}
100 m freestyle (S10) \| style="text-align:right;"\| 59.50 \| 30 September 2013 \| Wellington, New Zealand \| {{Abbr\|WR\|World record}}
50 m butterfly (S10) \| style="text-align:right;"\| 28.38 \| 19 March 2013 \| Auckland, New Zealand \| {{Abbr\|WR\|World record}}
100 m butterfly (S10) \| style="text-align:right;"\| 1:02.60 \| 31 March 2016 \| Auckland, New Zealand \| {{Abbr\|WR\|World record}}
200 m individual medley (SM10) \| style="text-align:right;"\| 2:24.90 \| 11 September 2016 \| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil \| {{Abbr\|WR\|World record}}{{cite web \|url=https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/S/W/SWW570101_Results_2016_09_11_195a6136_59e9_4e4f_9a05_8e51e429b1b9.pdf \|title=Results – Women's 200 metre individual medley final \|publisher=Rio 2016 Paralympic Games \|access-date=17 September 2016 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921143310/https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/S/W/SWW570101_Results_2016_09_11_195a6136_59e9_4e4f_9a05_8e51e429b1b9.pdf \|archive-date=21 September 2016 \|df=dmy-all}}
400 m individual medley (SM10) \| style="text-align:right;"\| 5:23.67 \| 19 December 2015 \| Auckland, New Zealand \| {{Abbr\|WR\|World record}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

Event

! Time

! Date

! Location

! Notes

50 m freestyle (S10)

| style="text-align:right;"| 27.78

| 18 August 2013

| Montreal, Canada