As a toddler, Johnstone was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, a condition where the bones of the hip joint do not fit together correctly.
Doctors recommended swimming because it was a low-impact sport that would protect her hips.
To date, she has undergone five hip reconstructions and one total hip replacement, which have affected her mobility in the water, especially her breaststroke kick, dives and turns, but she doesn’t let that stop her.
While she held her own in able-bodied competition, the transition to Para swimming has brought a newfound confidence while connecting with other athletes who have disabilities.
She has also excelled in the pool, winning national titles, and in May claimed youth gold and senior silver – in a field featuring multiple Paralympians – in the women’s 100m breaststroke at the Para Swimming World Series in Fuji, Japan.
Johnstone said it would be a proud moment to one day put her name alongside Pascoe’s.
“I’ve always looked up to Sophie,” Johnstone said. “If I could one day break her record, I’d be so proud, ecstatic and excited.
“I really look up to her and aspire to be like her. Last year, when I had just finished my hip replacement and I was recovering on crutches, she came to my school, and I spoke to her and got a photo. She signed a pair of my pink race socks, and I got to wear one of her Paralympic gold medals around my neck, so that was an honour.”
Johnstone’s competitive streak has been just as important as her talent.
She says she inherited that mindset from her father, Sam Johnstone, a former provincial rugby player who spent time with the Crusaders in 1998.
“I just loved the feeling of winning,” Johnstone said. “I wanted to continue going down this road of swimming and winning.
“I love being in the water, I love chasing the black line and training to win. I love winning gold and I love working hard and seeing the results that I’ve put in.”
After being encouraged to swim as a toddler, Johnstone quickly fell in love with the sport. She won eight of her nine races at her first junior meet, aged 9.
As ongoing hip issues continued to affect her mobility, competing in able-bodied swimming became increasingly difficult, prompting her to explore the Para pathway.
Jess Johnstone (left) after winning silver in Japan. Photo / Supplied
After contacting three-time Paralympic champion Cameron Leslie, she learned she was eligible for classification and officially transitioned to Para swimming late last year.
“I found the transition really good,” Johnstone said.
“The people in the Para space have all gone through their own battles but can still swim, win and do well in the sport they love. It’s an amazing culture to be around.”
She trains seven times a week in the pool and four times a week in the gym.
NZ Para swimmer Jess Johnstone. Photo / Supplied / Paralympics NZ
The switch has already paid dividends. Earlier this year she claimed an able-bodied bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke at the New Zealand Age Group Championships, while also winning Para gold in the 50m and 100m breaststroke.
She followed that by winning both breaststroke events at the New Zealand Swimming Championships, defeating fellow SB9 swimmer and New Zealand Paralympian Gabriella Smith, who won a world championship silver last year in the 100m breaststroke.
Johnstone continues to race against able-bodied swimmers in age-group competition and relishes the challenge.
“It makes me feel pretty proud and happy that I’m able to race against that competition and better myself,” she said.
She also gained valuable international experience in Japan, where she competed against many of the swimmers she expects to face again at next month’s Para Pan Pacific Championships in Walnut, California.
“It was definitely a learning experience,” Johnstone said.
“International competition is very different to national competition, so it was nice to get those learnings and hopefully execute them later.”
Long term, Johnstone has set lofty goals. She wants to win world championship gold in the 100m breaststroke next year before targeting the ultimate prize at the LA28 Paralympics.
Away from the pool, Johnstone hopes to become a corporate lawyer and is studying subjects like economics and business to try to achieve that goal.
For now, though, her focus remains on the pool – and the pursuit of New Zealand glory so she can stand alongside her idol and inspiration.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.