Game changer for young Hawke’s Bay sports stars

From left, swimmer Guy Harrison, performance pathway lead Angus Warwicker-Le Breton and netballer Zoe Elliott. Photo / Paul Taylor

A dream to get young Hawke’s Bay athletes onto a high-performance sports pathway without having to leave the Bay has taken a big step with the naming of the first intake for the High-Performance Sport NZ Hawke’s Bay Performance Pathways Project.

The 13 athletes, aged 15-20, from athletics, canoe racing, equestrian, swimming, hockey, netball and softball, were named in Hastings on Friday night.

The project, seen as a game-changer for young Hawke’s Bay talent, will be led by Angus Warwicker-Le Breton at the Hawke’s Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust and has been developed over 12 months since the plan was announced last year.

Some inductees are already on the game, with swimmer Caleb Carlisle recently a bronze medal winner at the Youth Commonwealth Games, Paralympic swimmer Guy Harrison having added a national short-course swimming title in Hastings to achievements as a golfer, Zoe Elliott becoming a national secondary schools netball representative, and Rylan Noome a national Under-18 sprinting champion.

Guy Harrison won a national short-course swimming title in Hastings earlier this month. Photo / Paul Taylor

The pathway could both increase the opportunities and cut some of the travel costs, particularly for those who previously had to move to Auckland or even abroad to train.

There have been examples of athletes having to leave the Bay to get onto the pathway this week, with US-based Geordie Beamish finishing fifth in the World Athletics Championships’ 3000m steeplechase in Hungary, Auckland-based Georgia Hulls running the 200m at the same championships, and former HB Supreme Sports Award winner Aimee Fisher making her way to the world canoe sprint K2 500m semifinals in Germany on Friday with new racing partner Danielle McKenzie.

Warwicker-Le Breton said it was hoped that inductees could be given the support and expertise to thrive in different environments as they moved through their sports pathways.

With local mentors who have already achieved in the environment, the aim is to work closely alongside each athlete and their support team to create individual performance plans that will help map out their sporting journey and identify what they need to develop to be successful.

Netballer Elliott, a Woodford House year 13 student, said she was looking forward to joining the other athletes and getting exposure to all aspects of improving her game, both on and off the court.

“I’m super excited to be part of the performance pathway project and have access to so many resources that are available,” she said. “The expert support in things like mentoring, strength and conditioning and nutrition is incredible and I am very grateful to be given this opportunity to help me achieve my goals”

The Hawke’s Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust and HPSNZ are delivering the programme, part of which is Raise My Game, a pathways planning process developed by ex-Black Sticks hockey star Suzie Muirhead.

HPSNZ’s Tracey Paterson said: “There’s a great mix of talent from mainstream and emerging sports and to deliver the pathways programme locally at a world-class facility provides immense benefit,” she said. “Hawke’s Bay has always been a hot spot for sporting talent.”

The inductees are Rylan Noome (athletics), Ryan Shotter (athletics), Julian Da Silva (canoe racing), Matt McKendry (canoe racing), Oscar Jarvis (canoe racing), Carys McCory (equestrian), Kelli Frewin (equestrian), Guy Harrison (swimming), Breeze Van Veldhuizen (swimming), Caleb Carlisle (swimming), Greer Findlay (hockey), Zoe Elliot (netball), Nopera Tangaroa (softball).