One of the most successful and longest-standing partnerships in Kiwi sporting history is officially coming to an end with Dame Sophie Pascoe revealing to 1News exclusively on Friday she is parting ways with her coach Roly Crichton after 20 years in her build up to the Commonwealth Games.
For every successful moment of Pascoe's career to date, Crichton has been the man in her corner having recognised her potential at age eight.
"Roly's been there from day one for me," Pascoe told 1News.
"He's the man who gave me an opportunity because he saw my talent in the pool and you can’t ask for more form the man.
"He's given me the opportunity to represent New Zealand. He's guided me, coached, and we've grown together coach and athlete but also as us as humans and I'm so proud of what we have achieved."
But 20 years on, Pascoe, New Zealand's most decorated Paralympian with 19 medals of which 11 are gold, told 1News it’s time to write a new chapter.
"It was natural. Twenty years is a long time from a young age," the 29-year-old said.
"You do tend to have different perspectives in a way of life as coach and athlete and we both mutually agreed it needed to come to a conclusion.
"The special thing is we have an amazing bond between us that'll carry on for a lifetime."
It was hoped the Tokyo Paralympics would be their swansong but over the past year Crichton has battled with his health, only just getting out of hospital after 39 weeks last month.
"We've accomplished so much together and it's unfortunate he couldn't be in Tokyo to finish the spectacle together.
"But if you know Roly, he's a fighter - he's proven that this past year what he's gone through… he taught me that fight.
"I'm a fighter and I proved that in Tokyo last year - every time I go to race I have the fight, the passion and he brought that every single day to the pool and I couldn't ask for more from a coach and that was engrained from such a young age.
"That's not going to leave me and makes me so successful."
Crichton was unavailable for an interview with 1News on Friday but said in a brief statement he was enormously proud of what they've achieved and was looking forward to his new role as a performance consultant for Swimming New Zealand.
For Pascoe, her long-term future in the sport isn't clear, only telling 1News she's determined to make her one event at the Commonwealth Games count.
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