The 21-year-old Taieri athlete led the New Zealand team into a sold-out Maracana Stadium yesterday, carrying the flag at the Rio Paralympics Opening Ceremony.
Ten athletes and 20 support staff turned out for New Zealand at the ceremony.
Robinson, the world’s No1-ranked F46 javelin thrower, is one of 31 New Zealanders chasing medals at the Paralympics, which run until September 19.
She is joined by fellow Otago athletes Caitlin Dore, Rory McSweeney, Jacob Phillips, Anna Grimaldi and Jessica Hamill.
Wanaka swimmer Hamish McLean is also competing.
New Zealand will be represented in six sports and is chasing a target of 18 medals, one more than its haul of 17 in London four years ago.
This time around they will aim for 12 golds, in contrast to the six from 2012.
Athletes from 160 countries paraded around the stadium as the 2016 Paralympics were declared officially open.
The opening ceremony, themed "every body has a heart", featured displays focusing on the human condition, feelings, difficulties, solidarity and love.
In the Paralympics, which run on the same four-year cycle as the Olympics, disabled athletes compete in categories grouping those with similar disabilities.
Twenty-two sports will be contested, with medals available in 528 different events.
Cyclist Kate Horan got New Zealand’s campaign under way early this morning, racing the women’s 3km pursuit C4. Grimaldi, a bronze medallist at last year’s IPC Athletics World Championships, will be the first Otago athlete in action.
The 19-year-old will compete in the long jump (T47) at 9.11am today.
Swimmers Cameron Leslie, Rebecca Dubber and Nikita Howarth were also in action this morning, while Liam Malone will run his 100m (T44) heat at 8.42am.
Howarth, a two-time world champion and world record holder, is a medal hope in the pool, as are Sophie Pascoe and Mary Fisher, who brought home 10 medals between them in 2012.
- Jeff Cheshire
