Personal progress equals success for Kurt

By Melanie Louden

When The Review caught up with Kurt Peterson in March 2023, he had his sights set on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

He was aiming to be the first para triathlete to compete for New Zealand.

Despite Kurt’s incredible career in para sport, the top placings and accolades, he did not qualify.

But the thing about Kurt is, he doesn’t give up. He doesn’t let a setback defeat him. He just sets his sights somewhere else and carries on.

“Of course, I was absolutely gutted and a lot of emotions poured out of me,” Kurt says of learning he hadn’t qualified for the Paralympics.

He turned his sights to a multisport world championship event.

“I thought here’s my chance to give it everything and finish my season on a high.”

“My coach and trainer thought it was a great opportunity, so we carried on the momentum.”

The 37-year-old’s efforts to qualify for the Paralympics saw him compete in New Zealand, Australia, America and Portugal where he earned several top three finishes in his category.

Kurt, who proudly wears the Cerebral Palsy Society logo on the front of his trisuit, has won the New Zealand triathlon nationals three times and won two duathlon national titles.

2024 saw him crowned the aquathlon multi-sport world champion and named Tri NZ’s Male Para Athlete of the Year.

It’s an impressive list of events, placings and accolades for someone who only picked up running in 2020.

Kurt is level-headed about his accomplishments and says for him, success is about “giving it everything I’ve got and making personal progress”.

“Of course I’m there to beat everyone else, but I’m also racing against myself for a personal best time or close to the perfect race as possible, with minimal mistakes.”

Kurt has spent the start of 2025 considering his options – one of which may be trying to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

Amongst all the planning and training Kurt works full-time, and as a hobby he drives for and helps run Team Motive, a motorsport team for disabled people.

Last year he also sprung a cleverly planned surprise proposal on “the love of my life”, Harshi Shetty.

Kurt’s advice to other young adults living with Cerebral Palsy – Hōkai Nukurangi, or any disability, is to “get out there and do it”.

“I know there are a lot of challenges to overcome, but I truly believe if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything you want to.

“You yourself can write your own personal story of success.”

---

This article was originally published in the March 2025 edition of The Review magazine.

 

For more information:
Melanie Louden
Communications Manager
melanie@cpsociety.org.nz
Mobile: 022 087 819