Last year the Herald spoke to Jayda Akuhata-Brown about her sporting aspirations. Made with funding from NZ On Air.
The family of a rising teen sports star who aspired to be the next Dame Valerie Adams say they're heartbroken at her death, which has left the community reeling.
Jayda Akuhata-Brown had her 14th birthday just last week, and had already represented New Zealand in basketball and athletics.
Her family found her in their Wairoa home on Saturday morning, after what they believed was a seizure.
Jayda had had epilepsy since she was 8, and while she had come off her medication and not had a seizure in years, her family believed she could have had one in the shower and hit her head.
Her mother Donna Rowe said she and her partner, Jayda's father Michael Akuhata-Brown, were "heartbroken".
Jayda Akuhata-Brown, 14, was a rising sports star and represented New Zealand in athletics and basketball. Photo / supplied
It was there Jayda's sporting career began to take off.
She started athletics when she was 6, and by the time she was 9 coaches were already beginning to notice her special talent.
Jayda came third in the Australian Schools Championships in shot put at 10, won state titles, and still held club records in shot put, discus and javelin.
In her first year playing basketball she made the Brisbane representative team.
After 10 years living in Australia the family moved back to New Zealand, two years ago, to Wairoa to look after Jayda's grandmother.
Jayda's sporting exploits showed no signs of slowing down, making the New Zealand basketball academy, and travelling to Las Vegas last July to play a two-week tournament.
When she came back to New Zealand she found out she had made the New Zealand Children's Athletics team to compete in Australia in December.
Keeping her going in her sporting ambitions was her dream of being an Olympian like her idol, Dame Valerie Adams.
"Valerie Adams was her dream, she inspired her," Rowe said.
"Luckily when the Commonwealth Games team was training in Hawke's Bay earlier this year she got to meet her. You couldn't take the smile off Jayda's face."
Jayda Akuhata-Brown had her 14th birthday just last week, and had already represented New Zealand in basketball and athletics. Photo / supplied
Jayda had just started at Hastings Girls' High School this year after spending last year at Wairoa College.
She had support of numerous coaches, and was on track for her dream of becoming a professional athlete.
"Jayda just loved it. She was dedicated to train as she knew what she wanted - to be an Olympian."
In March she broke the junior girls' records in shot put, discus and javelin at the East Coast Secondary Schools championships. A few weeks later she came second in the three events at the North Island Secondary Schools competition.
She had her sights set on claiming the top spot at the New Zealand Secondary Championships in Dunedin in November.
"We were building up to that, she was training really hard."
Outside of sports Jayda loved music and her friends.
"She was a very humble young lady, with a radiant smile, and with a quirky sense of humour.
"She was very loyal to her friends and had their backs. She was there for anybody who needed her, even if she didn't know them."
Her family and friends were still in shock, but they were "humbled" by the support they had received, Rowe said.
"We know she touched a lot of people's lives, even in Australia people we lived with over there are all heartbroken. It has been very humbling receiving all of the messages of support."
Marcus Agnew, who works in talent development at Hawke's Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust, spotted Jayda and her sporting talent while she was at Wairoa College.
"She had amazing talent and had achieved so much in all of the athletic throws.
"She ranked right up there as with the highest potential across all sports in the region. It is shocking to hear the news. She had a great future ahead.
"On the personal side she was a wonderful young girl who had the highest aspirations, it is such a tragedy."
A celebration for Jayda's life will be held at Wairoa's War Memorial Hall at 1pm on Thursday.
