Golden Games for Asher

Asher Nepia-Anderson (right) and older sister Reave represented Ilminter with pride at the AIMS Games in Bay of Plenty last week. New Zealand Mighty 11s representative Asher won the Y7 girls individual title while Reave was fourth in the Y8 girls division. More results from the Games in The Herald next week. Picture supplied

It was pedals of gold for Gisborne BMX rider Asher Nepia-Anderson at the AIMS Games in Tauranga last week.

Ilminster Intermediate student Asher was among the more than 11,500 students from over 370 schools who competed in 25 sports during the popular annual event for intermediate and middle schools.

Asher rode her way to the Year 7 girls individual title of the BMX held at Tauranga BMX Club.

She clocked 43.544 seconds in the final to head off Te Awamutu Intermediate School twin sisters Luca (43.933 ) and Sophie Penny (44.262).

Asher also picked up second in the Y7 girls’ time trial won by Luca.

Asher was one of three Ilminster students in the BMX. Older sister Reave was fourth in the Y8 girls individual final and fourth in the time trial.

Brad O’Connell-Bacon was seventh in the Y8 boys individual B final

Racing in Tauranga was a different structure to the recent Mighty 11s transtasman competition in Sydney where Asher got to wear the sacred silver fern as a member of the New Zealand team,

“Mighty 11s was a team racing event,” Asher said. “So instead of racing against my best mates, I raced with them. We all had to work together by using team tactics to try to get more of us (Kiwis) over the finish line.

“Since Reave trained with me and the other Mighty 11s, we both learned how to race as a team which we used for the school teams cup (at the AIMS Games).

“It was really cool to be able to race as a team at AIMS with my sister Reave. We always train together and this was the only chance we will ever get to race as a team since AIMS is only for Intermediate kids, and she’s off to high school next year.

“It was cool having my whānau in Australia racing as well — not just watching me and my team. We all got to experience Aussie racing and Aussie tracks  . . . it’s quite different from over here.”