Special Olympics swimmer ready for Parakiore's first competition after working her ‘butt off’

Thursday, 4 December 2025

Special Olympics is all about having fun, making new friends, and getting involved in sport for Samantha McLachlan.

She has collected gold, silver and bronze before, but Samantha McLachlan has been working her butt off for her big moment at Christchurch's brand-new pool.

The 29-year-old South New Brighton swimmer will be among the first athletes to compete at the Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre when the Special Olympics National Summer Games begin next week, before the facility opens for public use.

The pool will be the busiest of six local venues hosting the games, with nearly 300 swim competitors, including 24 Canterbury locals, vying for the podium.

'It's amazing,' McLachlan said about her hometown hosting the pinnacle competition for the first time in 20 years. The games, held every four years, bring together 1200 athletes with intellectual disabilities from around the country to compete across 10 sports.

McLachlan, who has Down syndrome, will compete in her strongest and favourite swimming events - butterfly and freestyle.

Samantha McLachlan has been swimming at QEII since age 8.

She brings considerable experience to the pool. She started swimming at age 8, getting coached at QEII in a Special Olympics group, and has since competed in three National Games, collecting gold, silver and bronze medals along the way.

“I’ve got them all,” she said proudly about her medal collection. “I love swimming, my mum encouraged me when I was little.”

Her goals for the upcoming games are clear: make new friends, have fun, and win medals to show the students at South New Brighton School where she volunteers.

Samantha McLachlan has a busy schedule between training, study and volunteering.

'The kids at school love seeing all the things I get up to.“

McLachlan has intensified her training with help from her sister, who takes her to twice-weekly swim sessions and spin classes that keep her motivated and fit.

Samantha McLachlan, pictured at QEII pool, is excited to hit the city’s new pool Parakiore as Christchurch hosts its first Special Olympics National Games in 20 years.

She fits training around studies at SkillWise, where she is learning cooking, scrapbooking, journaling, understanding emotions and video editing skills, and volunteers in the acting drama club at Inclusive Performance Academy.

'I've been training hard, working my butt off,' she said.

Her mother Hayley McLachlan serves as head coach of the Canterbury Special Olympics swimming team, coordinating 24 swimmers who work with individual coaches before coming together for major competitions.

“As a parent, I'm proud of what Sam has achieved and as a coach I'm proud of what all my team does, and as long as they swim to the best of their abilities, that's all I can ask for,” Hayley said.

The Canterbury swim team got a preview of the facility last week during a practice session, with the athletes having the entire pool to themselves.

“First look at the new pool was pretty awesome,” Hayley said, adding the session helped the athletes feel comfortable and prepared for the big event.

“[It will be] great to see her name up in the lights on the score board.”

The Special Olympics programme can be found online.