Jenny Newstead (preferred pronouns: they/them)
“Never Let Anyone Tell You You Can’t”
In this Paralympic and Olympic year, it is fitting to highlight Jenny Newstead, a legendary Paralympic swimmer who once called Salmond College home. Hilary Halba recently spoke with Jenny about their life and achievements.
When Jenny Newstead arrived at Salmond College in 1986 from Palmerston North – after an adventurous journey by car, ferry, train and taxi – they knew very few people there and had never seen the college, except as a photo in a brochure. They chose Salmond based on a recommendation from Don Fulton, their Palmerston North GP whose mother – Keren Fulton – was the college’s first warden.
Eager to personalise the concrete block wall in their Salmond room, Jenny, an avid trampolinist who had also completed 7th form (year 13) art, painted a giant trampolining bunny – in watercolours, so it could be removed at the end of the year. This temporary artwork became a highlight on college tours led by then-warden Tim Gray, and Jenny thought Tim seemed disappointed to discover they washed off the illustration at the end of the year.
The common rooms on each floor of Salmond became lively social hubs, but were also snug enough to feel homely. Jenny recalls the common room on their floor becoming more snug than usual when they and their friends challenged themselves to see how many people they could fit into room without harming themselves. Jenny recalls, ‘We managed to squeeze in the whole wing!’
During Jenny’s time at Salmond, the only phones available to students were in booths in the foyer. If parents telephoned, Jenny recalls, an announcement would be broadcast over the college intercom for that student to hurry to the telephone booth for a call from home.
Jenny has maintained close friendships from their time at Salmond, particularly with Dr. Katrina Richards whom they consider a ‘sister’. For Jenny their bond was ‘meant to be’ and has been characterised by serendipitous co-incidences, such as Katrina picking up a plate at Jenny’s home, and recognising it as having been made by a relative of hers in Germany. Another co-incidence happened during a trip to Germany, where Jenny’s family were introduced to a woman who turned out to be Katrina’s grandmother. In 1996, Katrina traveled to Atlanta to support Jenny in the Paralympics. Katrina was undertaking a PhD in urban climatology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver at that time, so it was a relatively ‘local’ trip for her. Katrina went to all Jenny’s events, and they went sightseeing together around Atlanta.
Jenny came to Otago to study Physical Education, but they faced challenges when a disability acquired after a trampolining accident affected their mobility and led to them taking medical leave from their studies. However Jenny discovered a talent for swimming during rehabilitation sessions in the pool. Coached by Duncan Laing, they became one of Aotearoa’s most decorated and celebrated Paralympians, swimming in Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996). Jenny won a total of 10 Paralympic medals, seven of them gold, and broke multiple world records. Jenny recalls the Dean of the School of Physical Education advising her, ‘University would always be here, but you won’t always be able to swim at that level.’ They add, ‘I’m still on medical leave!’
For Jenny, the pursuit of personal excellence outweighed even the significance of medals. They always pushed themselves harder, striving for personal bests, and they advise, ‘If you aim for your own goal, the medal is the bonus that comes with it.’ Jenny vividly recalls aiming to swim the 200 metres freestyle in Atlanta in under three minutes (their own world record being 3.01 minutes). At the end of the race, they looked at the scoreboard, wondering, ‘Who the hell did it in 2.55?’ before realising, ‘It was me!’
For Jenny a crucial aspect of representing Aotearoa was the opportunity to connect with athletes from a range of countries and to learn about different cultures. In the 1990s, being a Paralympian also meant athletes took on responsibility for fundraising, creating press releases and engaging in marketing campaigns.
Jenny was awarded the MBE in 1993 for services to sport; at 25 years of age, they were one of the youngest recipients of that honour. More recently, they have pivoted from international swimming to guest lecturing at the University of Otago, consulting on the development of artificial limbs, and coaching trampoline sports. They have also made their mark as a dancer – as well as creative director and technical director – for Gasp Dance Trust, specialising in inclusive and creative dance.
Jenny’s artistic skills are also evident in the creation of Scruff the Mouse, a cartoon character they created, who has now become the logo of Dunedin Trampoline Sports, and even appeared on wedding placemats and invitations when Jenny married Kevin Phillips in 2013. When Scruff first appeared at Salmond, Jenny and their fellow students provided a colourful backstory for him. Scruff even accompanied Jenny to hospital once, prompting staff to suggest counseling, mistaking Scruff for an ‘imaginary friend’.
Now a trampoline sports coach, Jenny is acutely aware of the pressures faced by contemporary students. Their advice to students in 2024 is simple but powerful: ‘Never give up, always think outside the box, change is a good thing, take any hurdle. There’s always a way round – you just adapt and rebrand. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t!’
Left: Opportunities to dance are everywhere for Jenny!
Right: Jenny and their skateboarding Lilac Burmese cat, Arsha.