There's a good chance that Bream Bay College will get a 100 per cent return from their single entry to this year's AIMS Games, with Abbie Palmer expected to win a gold medal at the Tauranga-based primary school's games.
For Palmer, the under-14 national champion, there is more than just a
gold medal to look forward to, with the 12-year-old booked in to stay at squash legend Susan Devoy's house for the duration of the games.
"When Susan heard Abbie was coming down to play in Tauranga, she invited her to come and stay with her for the week. They know each other pretty well with Susan's four boys all playing regularly at tournaments that Abbie's at," Palmer's mother Joyce said.
The rising female star of New Zealand Squash is hoping to play the country's biggest ever international star, but that will depend on the amount of time they get together.
"Abbie is hoping for a bit of a hit with her but it's just exciting for her to stay with her and hopefully some of her talent will rub off," her mother said.
Palmer is the only entrant from her school, but four of the larger intermediate schools in Northland - Dargaville, Kaitaia, Kamo and Whangarei will enter larger teams.
Dargaville will enter cross-country, multisport, squash and swimming competitors, with Kaitaia entering netball and swimming squads and Kamo entering a hockey team. Whangarei will send the largest team with football, netball, squash and tennis teams at the event.
The New Zealand Community Trust sponsored AIMS Games is an elite competition for emerging adolescents in years seven and eight. The games began in 2004 to allow for competition among elite competitors who had yet to begin high school.
Devoy was one of the key supporters of the games - which are based in Tauranga each year - from its inception in her former role as the chief executive of Sport Bay of Plenty.
Since the competition began in 2004, it has grown from 830 competitors, representing 22 schools and four sporting codes, to 3092 competitors representing 87 schools in 13 sports this year.
The games start with an opening ceremony on Sunday.
