Whangārei mother of two and award-winning photographer Kirsty Halliday came home recently from the 2024 Oceania Masters Athletics Championships in Fiji as a Pacific champion.
Whangārei mother of two and award-winning photographer Kirsty Halliday came home recently from the 2024 Oceania Masters Athletics Championships in Fiji as a Pacific champion.
Whangārei woman Kirsty Halliday has set a new Pacific (Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands) record and taken out a bevy of medals at the 2024 Oceania Masters Athletics Championships in Fiji recently.
The mother of two is now home and celebrating her success after winning three gold medals (weight throw, shot put and throws pentathlon) and a silver (long jump) in the 30-34 women’s category.
Despite nursing a back injury, Halliday managed to smash the 14-year 10.27m weight throw record by an impressive 1.14m, throwing the 9.08kg ball a total of 11.41m.
Halliday said she’d been receiving cortisone injections just weeks before the championships and had re-injured her back during the shot put event, forcing her to drop high jump – one of her strongest events.
She said regardless of the setback, she’d been determined to push through.
The award-winning photographer said it had always been a dream to represent her country, which had been capped off by a special encounter with one of New Zealand’s top athletes.
“Meeting Dame Valerie Adams was a highlight of my journey,” Halliday said.
“Her achievements and strength have always inspired me and it was an honour to meet her in person.”
Kirsty Halliday with world champion shot-putter and New Zealand sporting legend Dame Valerie Adams in Fiji.
The 2024 Oceania Masters Athletics Championships were held in Suva, Fiji from June 1-8 and in a world first, featured alongside the Oceania Area Athletics Championships for Senior, Under-18 and Para Athletes.
Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka even took part in the championships, winning a bronze medal in shot put in his age group.
The People’s Alliance Party leader finished behind two Australians in the over-65 category with a throw of 7.09m.
“It was indeed a morale booster for me. Even at 75, I hope to inspire the younger generation to develop a habit of keeping fit and staying healthy,” Rabuka wrote on Facebook.
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka (75) won bronze in the Men’s Masters Shot Put (M65+) in the 2024 Oceania Masters Athletics Championships.
Moving forward, Halliday said she aimed to continue to compete in upcoming competitions and to dedicate her time to being a positive role model for her children and community.
She is also currently working on raising funds to purchase a new world-class hammer cage for her club, Athletics Whangārei, to accommodate a number of international athletes using the facilities and the wider athletics community across Northland and beyond.
