Whanganui team’s first trip to Halberg Games scores Moment of the Games award

The Whanganui team at the 2023 Halberg Games, with athletes Theo Franklin-Browne (front centre) and Mason Pye (front right). Photo / Supplied

A Whanganui team’s first trip to the national Halberg Games ended with one of the athletes being awarded for a big moment.

St Anne’s School’s Theo Franklin-Browne, 12, won the ISPS Handa Moment of the Games award.

Theo was one of two athletes who made their way to Kings College in Auckland for the tournament, joined by Mason Pye, 17, from Whanganui High School.

The Halberg Games are open to young people aged between 8 and 21 years with either physical or visual impairments, and this year’s event had a record-breaking 224 athletes take part across 20 different sports.

Sport Whanganui’s disability and inclusion lead Sarah Craig was with the team and said Franklin-Browne’s moment of the games came from him taking part in the 100 metres race.

He also took part in the 50m race, as he had in previous events, but this was his first attempt at 100m.

“From what his dad said, it was because physically he’d never gone that far before so it was a great moment for us because we knew that,” she said.

Franklin-Browne completed the distance in around three and a half minutes but with a smile on his face and the whole crowd cheering him on.

“But what I didn’t realise was that the wider Halberg people realised that it was quite a momentous moment as well,” Craig said.

Pye also had a great time at the games, beating the long jump distance he set at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Track, Field and Road Race Championships last year.

Both athletes also took part in many other sports during the games, with Pye taking a particular liking to golf.

“He was like, yeah I really enjoy this golf, I might be keen to pick this up as an extra sport,” Craig said.

“It’s a really good way of giving things a go in a safe environment and obviously it’s really adapted to where the kids are at and what their needs are.”

Last year three Whanganui athletes took part in the regional Halberg Games in Palmerston North, held due to the national games being cancelled by Covid. This year was the first time Whanganui was represented at the national event.

Craig was keen to expand the team next year and urged any parent with a child who might be interested in the games to contact her.

“There’s something for everybody so anyone who’s wanting to get out and do something, I’d love to hear from them and we’ll take it from there,” she said.

The event was great not only for the chance to let the participants try new sports but for the larger community of parents and children who came together for the games.

“Because it’s all on-site, it’s a 24-hour thing so chatting to people at dinner, making connections with parents, that sort of thing as well,” Craig said.

She hoped to establish a team and have them get to know each other before the start of next year’s games.

People who are interested in taking part in next year’s games should get in contact with Sport Whanganui on (06) 349 2300.