Ngā Kete board member Terry King, 84, MNZM, JP, is the definition of resilience. After surviving a heart attack, cancer, and paralysis (all within consecutive years) Terry travelled to Canberra to compete in the 2025 Australian Masters Games, and came home with five medals, a renewed sense of purpose, and the same humble attitude that has carried him through every challenge.
I’m 84 years old, and I’ve just come back from competing at the 2025 Australian Masters Games in Canberra.
More than 8500 people were involved across 44 sports and 40 venues, and out of everyone swimming, only two of us were from New Zealand, myself and one other. The rest were Australians. It was a massive event, brilliantly organised, and something I never imagined I’d be able to take part in after the health challenges I’ve had.
My journey to the Australian Masters has been a long one.
In 2015, I had a heart attack and needed surgery to have two stents put in. Not long after recovering from that, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. That was another major blow. I had invasive surgery, which resulted in my entire stomach being removed, and six months of chemotherapy, three months before surgery and three months after.
It was a tough time mentally and physically. Through that period, all I wanted was to be normal again. Every day, even on the hardest days, I made myself get up and walk. That routine kept me going.
Then in 2017, I had a severe spinal stenosis. One day I was walking and the next, I was paralysed from the waist down. That was very confronting. I had major spinal surgery in Dunedin, and then I was transferred to the Burwood Spinal Unit in Christchurch where I spent over a month learning, slowly, how to move again.
From there I went to the Southland Hospital rehabilitation unit for two weeks, and eventually I was discharged back home, but still unable to function like I used to. I went from a wheelchair to slowly using a walker, then to an elbow walking stick. I still use the stick for balance today.
Through all of this, the goal never changed. I just wanted to be normal, to do things again, to live my life the way I used to. I’ve always been active, and I’ve always supported my community. I’ve been the National President of Grey Power NZ with a 60,000 strong membership, and an Invercargill City Councillor for nine years, so sitting still wasn’t an option for me.
After spending nearly three years inside the health system I had developed strong views about how the system worked, and how it could work better. So when the local body elections came around, I decided to stand for the Southern District Health Board. I felt I had something worthwhile to contribute.
I wanted to be a patient advocate. My mission was simple: to ensure excellent patient services and proper resourcing for Southland. Advocacy gave me purpose at a time when I was still rebuilding strength. It reminded me that I still had something valuable to offer. I was successful and spent the next few years on the board.
Throughout all of this, swimming became a lifeline for me. At first, I could hardly kick at all because of the paralysis. I had to rely almost entirely on my arms. It wasn’t elegant, but it kept me moving. I practised freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. The key was sticking to it. I would go every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5.30am when the pool opened.
Exercise is the most important thing. Swimming kept my muscles working and improved my circulation. It also kept me motivated mentally. The two primary sports that place virtually no impact stress on the skeletal system are swimming and cycling.
As the years went on, I pushed myself to swim longer distances. Eventually, I returned to competing at the New Zealand Masters Games (I first competed in 2014), something I never thought I’d do after paralysis.
This year I decided to take the next step and compete in Australia. My son and daughter both live in Canberra, so that made the decision even easier. I went over about four or five weeks before the Games started and trained intensively.
My goal wasn’t to win medals, it was simply to beat my own personal bests. That’s always been my approach. In the end, I beat my personal bests and won five medals:
• Silver – 50m breaststroke
• Silver – 100m backstroke
• Silver – 100m freestyle
• Silver – 50m backstroke
• Bronze – 50m freestyle
The scale of the event was enormous. There were 26 events, 246 heats over two days, and more than 1800 entries in the swimming alone. I competed in the 80-84 age group. Next year I’ll move into the 85-90 bracket!
Beyond the competition, I had a wonderful time in Canberra. I visited the High Court of Australia, the Museum of Australian Democracy, and attended a sitting of Parliament. I got to spend quality time with my children, and soak up the energy of the city. It was a really uplifting experience.
I’m contemplating the New Zealand Masters next year. I haven’t made up my mind yet, but it’s sitting there as a possibility. I also have one more goal sitting in the back of my mind. When I was younger a mate and I climbed part of the Remarkables Mountain Range near Queenstown. That memory has stayed with me and, one day, I would really like to climb it again. I’ve got fit children who may like to come with me. I’m not sure, but I would really like to do it again, at least once more. Age isn’t a barrier.
People often ask what motivates me, or how I kept going through everything. The answer is simple: When you set your mind to something, you can do anything you want. A positive mental attitude makes all the difference. Age should never be a barrier. If there’s something you want to do, go out and give it a go.
I’m grateful for every day, for every opportunity to keep moving forward. At 84, I’m still setting goals, and still working towards them.
