HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS - DANIELLA BELFORD
SAMOAN
GOLFER
Please introduce yourself, your Pacific Heritage, where you grew up?
My name is Daniella Belford. I'm 16 years old and I'm from South Auckland. I'm Samoan and I am so proud of that. My roots go back to the villages of Saleilua Falealili, Fasito'otai and A'ai o Niue in Samoa. I was born in Wellington but grew up in Mangere before we moved to Papakura and that's home for me now. I'm the eldest daughter of Andrew and Julia Belford - number two of four kids. My family and my culture are everything to me. They are the foundation of who I am and everything I do.
When did you first fall in love with golf, and what motivated you to continue playing from such a young age?
I started playing when I was five because of my brother Harlyn. Golf was our weekend routine and he is honestly the reason I play. My first coach was Andre van Staden and from the very beginning he never once made me feel like I had a disability. I talk a lot and ask a lot of questions. He was always patient with me, never frustrated, always smiling and that meant everything to a young girl who just wanted to feel normal. When dad took over coaching it was different. He was firm and I had to really tough it out. But looking back I needed both.
How did growing up as a Brown, Autistic girl from South Auckland shape you as a person and a golfer?
It made me tough. South Auckland is home and I am proud of where I come from. Being autistic means I feel everything deeply and that actually helps me on the course - I notice things, I care about every shot and golf rewards that kind of focus.
But it hasn't always been easy. I remember being at a driving range, stimming. For me that looks like laughing and giggling quietly to myself. It's how autistic people self-regulate and find comfort. An adult next to me yelled at me to stop. I was only 7. I cried and I have never forgotten it. But instead of walking away from the sport I loved, that moment made me more determined. Golf became the place where I proved that I belonged - not despite my autism but because of it. Every time I tee up I carry that 7 year old girl with me and I refuse to let her be silenced.
What got me through then and still gets me through now is my community. My parents, my teachers at school and my church community. Those are the people who never once made me feel like I was too much or not enough. They showed up for me on and off the course and because of them I kept showing up for myself. With their support it has helped shape me as a person and a golfer.
Being the only female in New Zealand ranked under EDGA/WR4GD is incredible. What does that mean to you?
I honestly didn't even know until December last year after winning Gold at the Special Olympics National Summer Games in Christchurch. I just played because I love golf. The roadtrips and flights with Harlyn and dad, staying with family or crashing in hotel rooms, eating whatever we wanted - we were just kids who happened to love golf. Rankings were never on my mind. It was never about that.
It was mum who discovered I was the only ranked female and youngest in New Zealand. I am so proud but also aware now of how lonely it is to be the only one. There should be more girls out here. I feel a real responsibility to show them this pathway exists because I didn't know it did until recently.
What challenges have you faced as a young autistic athlete in the sport?
The hardest ones are the ones you don't expect. I have overheard adults questioning whether golf was right for me - sometimes with Harlyn and I standing right there. People assume that because you have a disability you don't understand what's being said about you. You do. Every word. Watching mum and dad's faces afterwards hurt more than anything.
I also can't always control my stimming and not everyone is kind about that. But I have learned to work with who I am not against it. My mum actually helped me channel it on the course - she introduced me to this song by Snoop Dogg called the Affirmation Song and I use it to keep myself calm and focused. It's working. I just hope that one day sport becomes a space where every athlete - however they show up - feels like they truly belong.
You’ve received multiple international recognitions already. Did you ever imagine this level of success?
Not like this. International tournaments weren't even goals for me until that Gold Medal in Christchurch. Mum started researching and discovered through my WR4GD ranking that I qualified - and that led to St Andrews and Chicago becoming real.
I remember reading about the Scottish Open at St Andrews and thinking there was no way I would ever get in. Mum and dad submitted my nomination without telling me. When the confirmation came through I still didn't fully believe it. Even now it feels like a dream. I think standing on that course at St Andrews it will still feel like one.
You’re heading to St Andrews and Chicago this year. How does it feel to represent New Zealand on the world stage?
It still doesn't feel real. I never thought at 16 I'd be representing New Zealand as an autistic athlete.
But what means more than the representing is what it says to other kids like me - that it is possible to be Pacific, autistic, from a family that never played golf and still get here. My parents always said golf would take me places. I always used to tell them I wanted to travel the world and they'd just smile and say golf will take you there, and it has.
What keeps you motivated on the hard days?
My family. Always.
My parents have always worked for as long as I can remember so we can do what we do. I see those sacrifices every single day. Then there's my little brother Andy - he's 6 years old and doesn't talk yet. Watching him get frustrated when we can't understand him is one of the hardest things. It reminds me why I keep going - not just for me but for him and for every family sitting in the unknown wondering what the future holds for their child.
What are some things you wish others knew about Autism in sports?
That it is not a barrier - it is a different way of showing up in the world. Autistic athletes feel things deeply, focus really hard and are dedicated. Those are not weaknesses. Those are superpowers.
My brother Harlyn always sat out of team sports - he preferred to do things independently. Golf suited him perfectly because it requires hyperfocus, routine and repetition. I started because I just wanted to go everywhere he went. Every autistic person finds their thing differently. When you find it it changes everything. I just wish more people and places gave our kids the space and patience to find it.
Who inspires you?
My parents. I honestly don't know how they do it. There are four of us and three of us are autistic - all with completely different superpowers. Yet somehow they always find a way to give each of us the opportunity to grow and do what we love. I don't take that lightly. Not ever.
My mum is more my best friend than my mum. She is my hype person, keeps me calm and is always there when I'm down, anxious or just need a hug. She has never once used my autism as a reason to treat me differently and always reminds me that my superpower should never hold me back.
My dad is a no fluffs person. He will tell me straight when I need to sort myself out. The early mornings, the roadtrips, the coaching, the sacrifices - he shows up every single day without complaint. They are everything to me.
Lastly, what advice would you give other young, pacific, autistic athletes?
Find your thing. The thing that makes you feel most like yourself. For me it's golf. For you it might be something else entirely. But find it and don't let anyone tell you that you can't.
Don't forget to still be a kid. I play because I love it and I believe that is why I am where I am. Keep the people closest to you involved - as things get bigger it gets harder and having the right people to keep you grounded is everything.
Never give up. Your disability is not your limitation. It is part of what makes you unique and special.
WANT TO SUPPORT?
This year, Daniella is set to represent New Zealand on the international stage at the PING Scottish Open at St Andrews and the Chicago Adaptive Open. Fully supported by her family, a community fundraiser, The Daniella Belford Golf Day, will be held on 24 April at Pukekohe Golf Club to help get her there, with sponsorship and support now being sought.