NZ's First Elite Female Paratriathlete, Coast to Coast Trailblazer & Resilience Speaker

Sharon "Shaz" Dagg — known as "Limb-it-less Shaz" — is a Feilding-based paratriathlete and motivational speaker whose story is one of NZ's most powerful examples of finding a way forward. Losing her left arm and living with one kidney, she has gone on to become the country's first elite female paratriathlete and the first female amputee to complete the Kathmandu Coast to Coast.

Who is Shaz Dagg?

A former farmer and competitive duathlete who once represented NZ at the world duathlon championships in Spain, Shaz's life changed in December 2016 when a freak farm accident crushed her arm. After repeated surgeries, she chose amputation above the elbow — and turned that decision into the start of a whole new sporting and speaking career.

Career Highlights

• New Zealand's first elite female paratriathlete

• First female amputee to complete the Kathmandu Coast to Coast (243 km)

• Silver medals at the Paratriathlon World Cup and Oceania Championships

• Represented NZ at the World Duathlon Championships in Spain (pre-accident)

• Qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics

• Ambassador for Liv Cycling, Kidney Kids NZ and Children with Disability NZ

• Ambassador for Challenge Wānaka's 2026 Adaptive Challenge

Key Speaking Themes

• Resilience, adaptation and finding your "next chapter"

• Turning a negative into a positive

• Disability, accessibility and inclusion

• Mental toughness and goal-setting

• Family, support and the people who get you through

What Your Audience Will Gain

Shaz speaks with humour, honesty and a refreshing lack of self-pity. She doesn't trade in motivational platitudes — she trades in lived experience: the medical mess that took her arm, the slow rebuild, the Kiwi ingenuity of strapping a kayak paddle to "Stumpy", and the mindset that gets her up before sunrise to train. Audiences leave lighter and with real perspective.

Ideal For

• Resilience, wellbeing and mental health events

• Health and safety conferences

• Disability, accessibility and inclusion forums

• Schools, sports clubs and community events

• Corporate keynotes and after-dinner functions

Frequently Asked Questions about Shaz Dagg

What does Shaz Dagg speak about? Resilience, adaptation, mindset, disability and the lessons of rebuilding her sporting life after losing her arm.

What is Shaz Dagg best known for? Becoming NZ's first elite female paratriathlete and the first female amputee to complete the Kathmandu Coast to Coast.

How did Shaz Dagg lose her arm? A 2016 farm accident in which a gust of wind slammed her against a pipe between a post and a large gate, snapping her arm. After multiple failed surgeries she chose amputation above the elbow.

Has Shaz Dagg competed at the Paralympics? She qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics but withdrew due to COVID-19. She continues to compete and inspire as an elite paratriathlete.

Where is Shaz Dagg from? She is based in Feilding, in the Manawatū.

Is Shaz Dagg available for keynotes in NZ? Yes. Shaz is a popular motivational speaker for schools, sports clubs, corporate and community audiences across NZ.