He looks like your average, ordinary, everyday young man — but there’s much more to Charlie Mollard than meets the eye.
His face is instantly recognisable among the present generation of Lego builders, and has been ever since he and older sibling Oli were crowned champions of Lego Masters New Zealand, a Lego building game show that aired on TVNZ 2 in April.
So it sent a bit of a buzz around students at St Mary’s School in Foxton this week when they were told Charlie Mollard was coming. The students knew exactly who he was.
It’s been a bit like that ever since the Lego programme aired. They’re often called “Lego Charlie” or “Lego Oli”. They get stopped in town for selfies. But they’re cool about it.
“Random people recognise me from the show. I think it’s awesome because I was them, I guess,” Charlie said, remembering how it was for him and Oli in meeting the winners of Lego Masters Australia.
Charlie’s visit to St Mary’s School coincided with the launch of an in-school Lego creativity initiative. He was able to share his experiences from his time on TV, talk with our senior students about being successful and what it meant to win a major competition. He did some Lego building, too.
“It’s great to give back,” he said.
Billy Leadbetter, 9, and Tyson Gaw, 8, from St Mary's Primary School, with Lego Masters NZ champion Charlie Mollard.
When Lego Masters Australia first aired in New Zealand four years ago, the siblings never missed an episode. When they caught wind the show was coming to New Zealand, they knew what they had to do.
They spent months working on their application, including a two-minute video of themselves. Securing a spot on the show was a dream come true.
The siblings had played with Lego from a young age. They started with a random set of bricks, but their hobby was allowed to flourish. Areas of the house, like the spare room, were converted into designated Lego areas.
Charlie Mollard.
Charlie said he got a part-time job after school at a dog food factory just so he could afford to buy more Lego. They bought a Star Wars set and created a Millenium Falcon.
Charlie had attended St Peter’s College. Former teacher Phil Gunn is now principal of St Mary’s School in Foxton. On seeing the interest in Lego and in the programme, he saw value in having Charlie come and speak to the students.
“He’s very positive and very engaging and a wonderful role model for our learners,” he said.
St Mary’s has a roll of just 19 students. Gunn said anonymous donations to the school from former students were used to enrich the learning experience of students, including the purchase of a Lego station.
The Mollard siblings were both studying at Massey University. They had been to both the US and China this year to compete in mechatronics (robotic engineering).
Lego Masters New Zealand season two winners Oli (left) and Charlie Mollard with the Lego Masters trophy.
They were a team when it came to Lego building — Charlie’s strength was the mechanics and Oli had the artistic flair.
