Chatting to friends at a Six60 gig in Dunedin, Bailley Unahi didn’t even have time to look up as a balcony packed with people collapsed on top of her, severing her spinal cord.
Paralysed from the waist down, the shocking accident has changed the 26-year-old’s life in more ways than she imagined possible – including pushing her to become a world-class skier, occupational therapist and an ambassador for others living with disabilities.
It’s been seven years since the night of her injury, when Bailley – who was two weeks into her second year of a science degree at the University of Otago – decided to call in to popular Kiwi band Six60’s local show “for a couple of songs”.
“I was with my rugby team and had only been there for a few minutes when I heard a loud noise,” recalls Bailley. “I didn’t even have time to look up or react, and the weight of the balcony and everyone on it was on top of me.”
Bailley was rushed to Dunedin Hospital where a CT scan showed T12-L1 complete fracture dislocation, meaning Bailley’s back was broken and her spinal cord severed, leaving her paralysed.
Recovering in hospital after severing her spinal cord – and still smiling. “I decided to make the most of it.”
“It was a hard thing to grasp – a slow understanding of my new reality at first. I was in the gym twice a day for physio and realising no matter how hard I was trying, my body doesn’t work the same any more. Once I got home and started to realise this is how it is, I decided to make the most of it.”
Growing up in the small Southland town of Winton, Bailley was sports-mad, playing netball, touch rugby, basketball and swimming. So, one of her first priorities was getting active again.
“I ended up going on Outward Bound in 2016 after coming out of hospital,” shares Bailley. “It was an awesome experience to get back into nature, and realise with a bit of problem- solving and equipment, I can still do anything – travel, study and play sports.”
With her trademark optimism and relentless determination, she set about creating the most meaningful life possible. Through adaptive sports organisation ParaFed Otago, Bailley tried swimming and wheelchair basketball, before discovering her true passion, skiing.
Bailley loves the adrenaline rush of being on the mountain.
“I wasn’t really a skier before, so I was a bit hesitant,” admits Bailley. “But I thought, ‘Why not give it a go?’ One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt is, it’s okay to fail. I fell over a lot and it wasn’t easy, but I liked the challenge and potential of it.
“Seeing people like me skiing independently with their family and friends, using the chair lift and going over jumps, was amazing. That feeling of adrenaline and exploring the mountain like anyone else
had me hooked from the first time.”
Since then, Bailley has dedicated herself to the sport and swiftly risen in the ranks, recently spending five months training in Canada with Snow Sports NZ and High Performance Sport NZ Development Para Alpine Ski team.
The promising athlete picked up multiple bronzes at the FIS Para Alpine races in North America and now has her sights set firmly on qualifying for the 2026 Winter Paralympics.
Competing in Canada.
“It’s awesome being able to represent small-town New Zealand, women with disabilities and Māori women, hopefully on the world stage,” says Bailley, adding none of it would be possible without her sponsors, comprehensive ACC assistance during her recovery and community funding.
The generous support helped get her a $15,000 custom sit-ski, and assists with the many other costs of adaptive ski equipment and coaching, allowing her to train and compete overseas.
For now, she’s back in Wānaka, working full-time as an occupational therapist – a career she chose after experiencing the benefits during her own rehabilitation – and getting ready to be an ambassador for the upcoming Wings for Life World Run on May 7.
It’s the largest run in the world, where at exactly the same time hundreds of thousands around the globe will set a personal goal to run as far as they can for those who can’t. Every dollar raised from entry fees goes into spinal cord injury research, and entrants can join in one of the planned events, or set their own course and participate digitally.
Battle of the hot wheels!
“It’s a great feeling to get out and be active, and raise awareness,” enthuses Bailley, who is in her second year as an ambassador. “Just because we can’t actually run doesn’t mean we can’t still be involved.”
Last year, she set herself a goal of eight kilometres and ended up wheeling for 10km.
“This is obviously not how I thought my life would go,” reflects Bailley. “But if anything, I’ve had more opportunities come out of it – being able to travel and represent New Zealand, I can’t complain at all.”
To find out more or enter the Wings for Life World Run, visit wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en
