Bupa’s Wattle Downs Care Home General Manager, Yvonne Kleyn has recently returned home from Foz do Iguacu with a bronze medal in her division, exceeding even her own expectations.
“It’s been a dream of mine to shoot for my country and I was absolutely honoured to join the 22 strong New Zealand team. It was my first international shoot and I didn’t think I’d come anywhere, let alone win a bronze medal! I can’t quite believe it.”
In her day job overseeing the smooth running of South Auckland based Bupa Wattle Downs Care Home, Yvonne sees firsthand the winning attitudes from the residents. She is quick to downplay her own achievements, despite an achilles injury and five surgeries forcing her to wear an ankle foot orthotic carbon fibre brace.
“Our residents motivate me by pushing themselves to be their best everyday. Whether it’s a disability, mental or physical challenge, finding the strength and resilience to keep going is what’s really inspiring. I figure if they can do it, I can too.
“Our residents were so excited to see me return home with my medal, some were so supportive they even followed me online. I think they were exhilarated to see their manager out there competing on the world stage. It was quite lovely to see the impact my achievement has had on them.”
New Zealand’s ‘Black Arrows’ came home with 24 medals between 22 archers, ranging from gold to bronze. Field archery requires shooting up to 112 arrows per day, often in uneven and challenging terrain with distances ranging from 7 feet to 80 yards.
“Stamina and fitness is key, it can be really gruelling keeping your calmness and thinking about your shot,” says Yvonne.
Yvonne and her husband Henry (who won a silver medal), will be part of the team to represent New Zealand in Yangkton, South Dakata in the U.S in 2026. Until then, Yvonne says the experience has enriched her admiration for her day job team.
“My mindset coming home is very different. I have a much better appreciation for our Bupa staff, some of whom English is their second language. Now the ‘Worlds’ are over we are focusing on the Paris Paralympics and the Care Home has been holding its own hotly contested competitions. We’ve had tennis with balloons, a bowls championship complete with medal ceremonies and a national anthem. It’s a lot of fun.”
As an Official Partner for this year’s Paralympic Games, Bupa New Zealand is proud to provide financial support to our New Zealand Paralympic Team.
