Jesse Reynolds has been representing New Zealand in the pool for more than ten years, after starting swimming in Hamilton as a kid. He initially took up the sport because he was a competitive kid and swimming suited him better than sports that involved running, given he has a lower limb deficiency. Reynolds recalls taking off his prosthetic leg one day at school swimming sports, jumping in and finally feeling like he could compete.

Shortly after, Reynolds joined Fairfield Swimming Club to continue his swimming journey. Before long, Reynolds made his international debut at the 2009 Paralympic Youth Games in Melbourne, where he won a bronze medal in the S9 400m freestyle.

Reynolds made his first senior international team at the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships in Montreal, where he placed sixth in the S9 400m freestyle. He continued to develop as an athlete in the coming years, achieving four fourth place finishes at the 2015 Para Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in California.

In 2015, Reynolds competed at his second IPC Swimming World Championships, taking fifth place in the S9 400m freestyle in Glasgow.

Reynolds was selected for the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, marking his first time representing New Zealand on the world's biggest sporting stage. He swum personal bests in the S9 100m backstroke and S9 100m butterfly finals to finish seventh and eighth, respectively.

2018 saw Reynolds attend his first Commonwealth Games, where he where he competed in three events, and narrowly missed out on a medal, on the Gold Coast. Not long after, Reynolds was back racing in Australia - this time at the 2018 Para Pan Pacific Championships in Cairns. It was an impressive outing for Reynolds, who won a handful of medals, including a silver medal in the men’s 4x100m medley relay (34 points) and three individual bronze medals.

Reynolds competed at the 2019 IPC Swimming World Championships in London, marking his third World Championships appearance. Here he achieved finals appearances in the S9 100m backstroke and SM9 200m individual medley, notching sixth and seventh place finishes respectively.

Two years later, Reynolds represented New Zealand at his second Paralympic Games in Tokyo, achieving his best result at a Games by placing sixth in the S9 100m backstroke and resetting his own New Zealand record. He also made the final of the SM9 200m individual medley where he placed seventh.

Following the Tokyo Paralympics, Reynolds made the move back to Hamilton where he is now coached by Mat Woofe. The move drew the curtain on a strong working relationship with previous coach Simon Mayne, with the duo based at the National Aquatic Centre in Auckland.

2022 was an excellent year for Reynolds, who had a strong showing at the Para Swimming World Championships in Madeira before standing on the podium at his second Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. After narrowly missing out on two bronze medals on the Gold Coast four years earlier, Reynolds won silver in the S9 100m backstroke. The 25-year-old was a great support for young teammate Joshua Willmer in the SB8 100m breaststroke final where Willmer won gold and Reynolds placed fourth.

In 2023, Reynolds donned the New Zealand cap for the fifth time at a Para Swimming World Championships when he dove into the water in Manchester. He had an excellent result in his sole event, the S9 100m backstroke, where he notched his best finish at a World Championships by placing fourth in the world - a sign of fine form heading into the Paralympic year.

Reynolds qualified for his third Paralympic Games at the New Zealand Championships in April, meeting the standard in the S9 100m backstroke. With two Games campaigns under his belt, Reynolds will be one of the most experienced members of the New Zealand Paralympic Team in Paris - with his wealth of experience sure to be useful as he helps guide the three Paralympic debutants in the swimming team.

Reynolds lives by his favourite quote: “Life’s not about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward”, with it being a testament to his longevity at the highest level of the sport.

Outside of the pool, Reynolds works as a Kiwi Saver advisor.

💥 Selected to third Paralympic Games

After meeting the qualifying time for the S9 100m backstroke earlier this year, Reynolds gained selection to his third Paralympic Games team. Reynolds represented New Zealand at the Games in Tokyo three years ago and at Rio 2016.

🥈 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist - S9 100m backstroke

Reynolds captured silver in the S9 100m backstroke at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, after finishing fourth in the same event four years earlier on the Gold Coast.

💥 Four-time Paralympic Games finalist

Across Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, Reynolds made four finals appearances at the Paralympic Games, with a best finish of sixth place in the S9 100m backstroke in Tokyo.

💥 Five-time Para Swimming World Championships representative

Reynolds has represented New Zealand at five Para Swimming World Championships (Montreal 2013, Glasgow 2015, London 2019, Madeira 2022, Manchester 2023), accumulating a wealth of experience racing in finals with a best finish of fourth place in 2023.

🥈 Four-time medallist at the Para Pan Pacific Championships

Took home a four medal haul from the 2018 Para Pan Pacific Championships, clinching silver in the men's 4x100m medley relay (34 points) in addition to three individual bronze medals. Reynolds also competed at the previous edition of the championships in 2015, achieving four fourth place finishes in California.

🥉 2009 Paralympic Youth Games bronze medallist - S9 400m freestyle

On his international debut, Reynolds took bronze in the S9 400m freestyle at the 2009 Paralympic Youth Games in Melbourne, Australia.