Young Dannevirke marcher follows her passion each week to Wellington for training sessions

Dannevirke student Chianne Lyford-Shields has weekly training sessions in Wellington.

Dannevirke student Chianne Lyford-Shields is a dedicated marcher but following her passion is not easy as she lives in Dannevirke and has weekly training sessions in Wellington.

Lyford-Shields is a member of the Glennette under-16 North Island champion marching team planning to defend its title in Napier on December 7.

Then in March her team aims to lift its fourth place ranking at the nationals in Auckland.

Just competing in these events is expensive for a teenager and her family and the trip to Wellington to train every weekend for eight months of the year is even more of a challenge, both in cost and time.

Lyford-Shields and her family are totally focused on following the competitive marching dream.

She started marching six years ago in Napier and really enjoyed the experience.

Two years ago she and her family moved to Dannevirke and Lyford-Shields attended Dannevirke High School, but there was no competitive marching team.

After no marching for a year she yearned to march competitively again and joined the Glennette team in Wellington for a different experience.

Her mum Susan takes her to Wellington to train sometimes on just Sunday for three hours but when competitions are on, like last weekend in Petone, it is practice Saturday and competition Sunday.

Lyford-Shields loves the challenge of competitive marching which is divided into three sections, review and inspection, technical and display.

Review and inspection and technical have strictly prescribed moves while in display there is freedom to entertain and this is the section Lyford-Shields most enjoys.

The Glennette under-16 team has 11 members and Lyford-Shields thinks it has a strong chance of retaining its North Island title and perhaps picking up the national title as well, but for her that takes a lot of practice in Wellington and at home.

Lyford-Shields also hopes to go on a two-month youth exchange to Italy in November 2020 where she will go to school and sample a different culture, but the cost is $8000.

Lyford-Shields and her family are fundraising selling pine cones and Susan was out selling ethically made organic reusable string produce bags on Market Day, but it is a big challenge and the family would appreciate community support.