Super Gran paddles towards Rio

It's a beautiful early autumn afternoon at Lake Ngatu, warm and still, albeit with a near undetectable bite in both air and water, a subtle reminder of the changing season. It's after school and the end of the week but the lake's surprisingly quiet bar the sound of crickets chirping unseen nearby.

A couple of families are spread at intermittent distances around the shoreline, dipping their toes in the water, while dogs splash in the shallows. Every now and then, the glassy surface of the water is disturbed by ripples spreading outwards to lap at the reeds surrounding the lake.

It is the wake from a single waka ama (outrigger canoe) being paddled with quiet determination by Margaret 'Mags' Brown, training to represent the Far North and New Zealand with distinction at the world outrigger canoe championships in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil later this year.

A local doctor, who has just been named New Zealander of the year, with his family pedal past on their daily afternoon bike ride and all wave out to the woman on the water. The driver of a departing car winds down the window and yells out encouragement. Mags stops to chat to a small family on the water's edge and takes their photo. It seems everyone in this neck of the woods knows Mags, thes local woman who has become completely passionate about the aquatic sport since first picking up a hoe (paddle) a mere five years ago.

The 64-year-old part time teacher qualified for the world championships in Brazil through another successful campaign at the national sprint championships on Lake Karapiro earlier this year. Her haul included silver in the w1 golden masters women's division (i.e. over 60), and gold, silver and bronze with various w6 and w12 teams in the senior masters women division (i.e. paddlers over 50).

The four medals add to a near embarrassment of riches made up of a massive number of podium finishes at local, regional, provincial, national and international level and includes the three golds won at the 2010 world champs in New Caledonia; along with plenty of subsequent recognition at several Far North District Council Sports Awards and various local and national Maori sports awards.

But it's more than just being about results ... A dedicated training regime has made Mags a firm advocate for the benefits of fitness, while inspiring others to take up waka ama is another priority for the woman her peers call Whaea Super Gran (she has 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren).

"One of my dreams and ambitions is to get children up and running in the sport. Awhi [embrace] the kids," she said, adding she had supported Sport Northland's annual secondary school waka ama programme held on Lake Ngatu earlier this year.

"There's a lot of natural talent up here. It [waka ama] caters for the whole family. Once they see what's happening, so many mothers and dads want to start paddling with their kids, start to spend a lot of time with them," she said, adding waka ama also held potential to help troubled youth: "Get them away from the temptations of all this other stuff that happens."

She pauses for a moment then gestures around an environment where she has learned to synchronise her strokes to the lake's natural rhythms.

"This lake has been my gym. It's a perfect resource. Costs me nothing to be on here. I waka around the lake, walk around the lake, run around the lake. I do my stretches and my warm-downs on that tree over there, I use it for resistance training.

"The weather is always different, water is always different. Such beautiful times on the lake."

Margaret Brown is the only paddler so far confirmed to represent the Te Tai Tokerau Polynesian Canoe Federation among the nearly 2000 paddlers expected to converge upon Rio de Janeiro for the 2014 International Va'a Federation World Sprint Championships from August 12-17, the first time Brazil has hosted the event.

Anyone able to contribute in any way, shape or form towards her campaign - estimated to cost somewhere between $5000 to $7000 - can contact her on (021) 239-7258.