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Among more than 470 graduates at Manukau Institute of Technology on May 16 was Takanini-based Paris Boyce-Bacon.
Paris, who has won fifteen national titles and competed internationally in gymnastics, received her nursing degree.
The 22-year-old former Rosehill College student has come full circle after deciding to study
nursing due to the care she received at Starship Children’s Hospital rehabbing various sports injuries.
She has just started work as a nurse in the oncology and haematology ward at Starship Children’s Hospital.
“It’s where I’ve always wanted to work as a nurse. Always paediatrics, and always with cancer patients. My grandad had lymphoma; he was not doing well, but his oncologist was an amazing advocate for him, and he’s still here today.”
Part of coaching involves interacting with parents and working through what’s best for their
budding gymnasts, and Paris said those skills transfer to working with parents of children on the ward.
Coaching also involves advising around nutrition, rehabilitation, therapy and working through mental stress.
“There are a lot of things that I can transfer over to my nursing, and my approach to nursing in a hospital setting.”
Paris grew up in Karaka and started gymnastics when she was five years old, beginning to
compete just a year later.
“I was training 30 hours per week since I was about 10, although that has dropped right back … it has taught me the best time management skills.”
Despite the hard work, Paris has a deep love for the sport.
“I love the life lessons it sets you up with. You have to be incredibly hardworking and resilient to be in a sport like that. I’ve had a lot of skills that transfer into other sports and life itself.”
She did artistic gymnastics for eight years, moving on to aerobic gymnastics after an elbow
injury.
She said they aim to keep gymnasts in the sport and injury-free as much as possible.
“It’s so different now, I wish it were like that when I was doing it. Gym is going to be in my life forever … I can always keep judging until I’m dead,” she laughed.
