The team representing Whanganui are (from left): Kailahi Blake, Deacon Williams, Ally Lochhead and Ruby Bullock. Photo / Samantha Nash
The team representing Whanganui are (from left): Kailahi Blake, Deacon Williams, Ally Lochhead and Ruby Bullock. Photo / Samantha Nash
Last month, four young people from Whanganui represented their city in a gruelling test of physical skill, endurance and mental fortitude.
Deacon Williams, Ruby Bullock, Kailahi Blake and Ally Lochhead took part in a police-designed fitness test in Whanganui, then represented their schools and the district at a national event.
Deacon and Ruby are from Faith City School, Kailahi is from Whanganui Intermediate and Ally comes from Ohakune. The district extends north to Ohakune, Waverley, and south to Marton and Bulls.
“Blue Light Whanganui runs a Police Competency Test event (PCT) for all intermediate-aged students in the Whanganui district,” says Senior Constable and youth worker Tanya Ross, of Whanganui Police. “We ran that at the end of October.”
She says about 15 schools sent teams to the event.
“The two fastest boys and the two fastest girls from any of the schools then come together, and we send them to a Blue Light National PCT event.”
Tanya says 12 regions took part, with teams of four from each region competing.
“Our guys got fifth in the PCT challenge, nationally, and they got sixth overall because the first day was team-building at the youth centre, in which they had to do a whole lot of activities which went towards their final total. The second day was the PCT competition.”
Tanya says she was pleased with the result, considering they were competing against teams from Auckland, Wellington and other bigger centres.
“Part of the event was that Blue Light National paid for every single team to go to the Women’s Rugby World Cup final. They had an amazing time.”
She says Blue Light Whanganui paid for the local team’s accommodation, and they were accompanied by two police officers.
PCT teams from around the country gather at the youth centre in Auckland. Photo / Samantha Nash
Deacon’s father, Stacy Williams, says Deacon got a call from his school about the event.
“He got a call, last-minute, from the school, saying the police are holding a PCT event through Blue Light... the school said, ‘Can Deacon do it? If you give permission, we’ll take him over tomorrow’.”
Stacy says they were taking a group of kids — four were from Faith City School — to compete against all the other schools in Whanganui.
“I gave permission, and Deacon got the top time.”
Stacy was pleased for Deacon and the team that they got to compete in Auckland and share in the victory at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Tanya Ross says Blue Light Whanganui regularly fundraises to be able to send local kids to these events.
“It’s really important for them to have these opportunities.”
