AUT Millennium FLAME - Summer 2019/2020

SUMMER 19/20

Paralympics New Zealand Russ Hoggard Summer water safety BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE SUMMER 19/20

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Our reason for being is to be great.

We want this place to be brilliant.

Bold statements?

They’re meant to be. We’re not here by accident.

We arrived on the shoulders of legends past.

The Lovelocks and Lydiards, the Rutherfords and Pickerings.

They’ve shown us that we can take on the world

from New Zealand, which is the

not-so-secret ingredient of our success.

We’re inventive, we connect,

we share, we’re on the same page.

We can get a government, a city, a university, clubs, teams, benefactors and communities working together.

We don’t let egos get in the way of a good idea.

We don’t compromise.

We don’t complain.

We don’t bail out.

We come in one size. Big.

Big dreams.

One Big hearts. Big on effort.

is our favourite number.

It means first place,

one of a kind,

one organisation, one vision.

We’re here to make history, have fun, learn, educate,

discover stuff, make a difference and

be the best we can be.

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contents 4 6 8 12 13 14 16 18 21 25 26 27 29 30 32 33 34 35

Message from the CEO AUT Millennium happenings Spirit of gold drives Kiwi Paralympians Community Group Fitness A collection of our Everyday Champions Climbing towards better health Keep your family safe this summer 2019 by the numbers An impressive track record Spotlight on: Auckland Mermaids School holiday options Check that mole with firstcheck Rangitoto College SPRINZ feature North Harbour Water Polo North Harbour Bays Athletics Club NorthSport Olympic Weightlifting North Shore Swimming

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Message from the CEO, Mike Stanley 2019 has been a fantastic year for sport in New Zealand with some great wins and also losses to bear – the Silver Ferns winning the Netball World Cup against fierce rivals Australia, the Black Caps providing an absolutely nail biting game down to the wire (twice!), and the All Blacks showing New Zealand that sometimes things don’t go to plan and it can be how you deal with the loss that will define you.

Here at AUT Millennium, many of our athletes are training hard for qualifying events leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics. We regularly receive feedback from athletes on how much they value training close to their home, using our world-class training facilities and being part of our wider community. We’ve never been busier across the board: teaching record numbers of children to swim and be safe in the water, new gym members joining our community every day, fantastic corporate events held in our conference rooms, youth athletes enjoying more opportunities to engage with our specialist coaches, more schools taking part in our Education Outside the Classroom days, and more teams staying at our comfortable on-site Accommodation.

This year again with our partner Nestlé, we have been able to continue to provide opportunities for children from low-decile Auckland schools to visit AUT Millennium for a fun-filled day, learning about different sports they can be involved with and how to keep fit and eat healthy foods. It’s wonderful to see these groups on site, as it reminds us all of our organisation’s mission - to help New Zealanders live longer and healthier lives.

We are a proud sponsor of the North Harbour Club and we were thrilled to award Connor Bell as the 2019 AIMES Sports Award Winner. Connor is an AUT Millennium Scholarship Athlete and is forging a successful record as a discus thrower - he was a gold medallist at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, and collected bronze in the senior men’s division at this year’s national championships. We look forward to supporting Connor and seeing how he continues to develop.

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We’ve got a lot to look forward to in 2020, with some facility upgrades and improvements in the planning, and the build up to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. As home to High Performance Sport’s National Training Centre, it will be busy around these parts as athletes and national sports organisations prepare.

We’ll be doing our bit to support New Zealand’s team!

In this edition of Flame, we catch up with Paralympics New Zealand to see how they are engaging the New Zealand public in the lead up to their Tokyo campaign. We also chat with long time athletics coach Russ Hoggard, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday and is still coaching, from emerging runners through to high performance athletes.

Russ was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal this year, and has been part of the AUT Millennium community for over 17 years. We have some tips to keep your family safe in the water this summer, and some impressive numbers from across our business units in 2019.

With the holiday season nearly upon us, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being a valued member of our community and for your continued support of AUT Millennium. As a charitable trust, every dollar that is spent on our services goes back into maintaining and developing the facility to continue to provide opportunities to all of our community to align with our mission to produce worldclass outcomes in community sport, high performance sport and health and wellbeing to all New Zealanders.

On behalf of the AUT Millennium Trust Board, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy a relaxing summer holiday with your loved ones.

AUT Millennium Christmas Hours AUT Millennium Gym

National Aquatic Centre

Monday 23 December

5.00am – 7.30pm

5.30am – 9.oopm

Tuesday 24 December (CHRISTMAS EVE)

5.00am - 6.00pm

5.30am - 2.00pm

Wednesday 25 December (CHRISTMAS DAY)

CLOSED

CLOSED

Thursday 26 December (BOXING DAY)

CLOSED

CLOSED

Friday 27 December

7.00am - 6.00pm

9.00am - 5.00pm

Saturday 28 December

7.00am - 6.00pm

9.00am - 5.00pm

Sunday 29 December

7.00am - 6.00pm

9.00am - 5.00pm

Monday 30 December

7.00am - 6.00pm

9.00am - 5.00pm

Tuesday 31 December (NEW YEAR’S EVE)

7.00am - 6.00pm

9.00am - 2.00pm

Wednesday 1 January (NEW YEAR’S DAY)

CLOSED

CLOSED

Thursday 2 January (DAY AFTER NEW YEAR’S DAY)

CLOSED

CLOSED

Friday 3 January

7.00am - 6.00pm

9.00am - 5.00pm

Saturday 4 January

7.00am - 6.00pm

9.00am - 5.00pm

Sunday 5 January

7.00am - 6.00pm

9.00am - 5.00pm

Monday 6 January

NORMAL HOURS RESUME

Please note: The AUT Millennium Pool will be closing at 5pm on Sunday 22 December and will reopen Monday 6 January.

For Swim School dates and more information, please visit our website: www.autmillennium.org.nz/contact

AUT MILLENNIUM HAPPENINGS

SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER 2019

happenings The sun is out, the days are longer, and athletics season is in full swing! That’s definitely a barometer of summer here at AUT Millennium – the stadium is regularly full of activity!

We love supporting our neighbours when we can. Annually, we sponsor a prize at the Rangitoto College Sports Awards.

It was wonderful to celebrate the achievements of local athletes, and see some of our Foundation Club youngsters and Swim School staff accepting awards. One of our local daycare centres, Learning Tree Apollo Drive, has recently started swimming lessons with us. Our Marketing Manager Emily’s two girls attend Learning Tree, and Sophie has been enjoying building her water confidence and learning new skills.

soft curb sides and sand traps to control sand spills. This will help us keep our facilities at the highest standard for athletes of all levels.

Calendars fill up fast this time of year, and we’ve been busy celebrating our members and families with end of year functions. Gym members recently came together for an evening celebrating the year and the wonderful health and fitness milestones of our Everyday Champions. Our Deep Water Running, Adult Swim Squad and Running Group regulars enjoyed a get together over food and drinks, and we’re on the countdown to our annual Swim School Pool Party.

It’s been great to have Drowning Prevention Auckland (DPA) on site filming educational resources to help them with their important work. Beaches, rivers, lakes and pools play such a big part of a Kiwi summer, and it’s important that people of all ages and ability know their limits in the water.

DPA have a great e-learning platform on their website if you’d like to upskill in water safety education.

Over summer, our local beaches will be patrolled by the guards of Surf Lifesaving New Zealand. The National Aquatic Centre held their national Pool Championships in October. The event helps with the development of current and aspiring guards, readying them for the busy beach season. It’s great to support such an important service we all rely on over summer.

Sophie, daughter of Marketing Manager Emily, enjoying her swimming lesson with Learning Tree.

Our conference rooms are always busy, hosting meetings, trainings and group events. One day, businesses from across the North Harbour region are workshopping ways to engage Gen Z and Millennials, and the next, the martial arts community are discussing masculinity, mental health and family violence protection with Richie Hardcore. It’s great to be able to facilitate such a range of sessions which benefit our community in so many ways.

Our indoor Sports Hall has been getting a makeover, with a brand new blue Mondo track surface being laid, and upgrades made to the long jump pit, including a relocation,

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The October school holidays were yet again busy with events and holiday programmes all across the facility. If you’re looking for something to keep the kids occupied during the long summer holidays, check out our holiday programme options on page 26. From the keen athlete to the more all-round programme, we have something for all Kiwi kids in January!

Our Gym team never need an excuse to dress up, and October gave them plenty of reason to do so! During the Rugby World Cup, members and staff were encouraged to wear their country’s colours and enter our picking competition. During the scary season, our staff members dressed up and ran a ‘trick for treat’ challenge, awarding tasty treats to members who completed a fitness trick. We love the opportunity to see our members having fun and

Scary scenes in the Gym on Halloween!

enjoying the challenges!

AUT’s Sports Performance Research Institute NZ held their Strength and Conditioning conference over three days in November. Bringing together leading practitioners and academics, the gathering aimed to provide actionable steps for improvement in the field. Athlete Development staff were involved in a youth-specific workshop, talking about how to get the best athletic and mental performance out of adolescent athletes.

In November, we held our first NZ Blood donation day in the Finish Line. Almost all the appointments were booked in advance, but the great team at NZ Blood was still able to account for walk-ups. We had 30 first-time donors throughout the day, which was great to see. Between our staff, tenants and members, as well as nearby members of the public, the AUT Millennium community was able to Staff and members of the community helped us save lives at our blood drive.

help stock up a valuable resource – one donation can save up to three lives!

As we head into 2020, there will be a lot of eyes on our athletes looking to confirm spots to Tokyo for the Olympics and Paralympics. We are fortunate to see many Kiwi athletes around our facility throughout the year – keep an eye out for videos and TV commercials filmed here on site featuring our leading athletes! Athlete Development coaches are working with one of our Foundation Clubs, North Shore Swimming, providing their dryland training programme as their elite swimmers look ahead to next year. We wish them all the very best for selection and ongoing training as the Games draw near!

From all of us here at AUT Millennium, we wish you all a safe and happy holiday period. Take care on the roads, remember to slip, slop, slap, and please keep safe while you’re on or in the water this summer. We look forward to seeing you in 2020!

KEY DATES FOR THE COMING QUARTER Wednesday 25 December - Christmas Day Thursday 26 December - Boxing Day Tuesday 31 December - New Year’s Eve Wednesday 1 January - New Year’s Day Thursday 2 January – Day After New Year’s Day Monday 27 January - Auckland Anniversary Thursday 6 February - Waitangi Day

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PARALYMPICS NEW ZEALAND FEATURE

drives Kiwi Paralympians

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PARALYMPICS NEW ZEALAND FEATURE

Over half of the New Zealand population watched the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. That’s more than two million people. Talking with Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) Brand and Communications Manager, Melissa Dawson, that viewership is a result of two factors – outstanding athletes, Kiwis loving sport, and a continued amount of hard work and outreach conducted by the PNZ team to raise the profile of Para sport, Para athletes and Paralympians.

Paralympians like Sophie Pascoe and Liam Malone may have become household names, but there are over 200 other talented Paralympians with compelling stories who have worn the fern on the international stage. Over the last few months, the PNZ Celebration Project has highlighted these stories, connecting everyday Kiwis with athletes past and present. “In 2018, we celebrated our 50th anniversary,” says Melissa. “We wanted to celebrate all our representatives, and were aware that some of our first Paralympians from Tel Aviv 1968 were beginning to pass away. We did not want to lose our previous Paralympic heritage here in New Zealand. We launched the Celebration Project as a way of reconnecting with our alumni and ensuring they were acknowledged appropriately.”

To date, 63 Paralympians have received their official number, certificate and commemorative pin across a series of events around the country. Knowing the importance of engaging the public, the PNZ team developed a roadshow which continues to tour the regions, encouraging people to learn more about Para sport, Paralympic history and understand more about disability. “In conjunction with our commercial partners, we have set up our Para Sport Pop Up in a high foot traffic part of town, and locals would be able to come and ask questions, leave a message for our Paralympians, and try Para sports such as wheelchair basketball, jump on a hand cycle, or try our virtual reality blind football experience,” Melissa explains. “The education aspect is so valuable for us. We are able to talk to the community about our athletes and the Paralympics, and we were able to have the regional ParaFed organisation on site to promote what’s happening in Para sport locally, and link keen athletes and volunteers in with the right people.”

Excellence and equity Awareness of the Paralympic Movement and interaction with the New Zealand public is hugely important in order to help PNZ with their overall goals – helping Para athletes achieve sporting excellence, and ensuring they are treated on par with their able-bodied counterparts.

“The response to the Celebration Project further confirmed

SUMMER 19/20

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PARALYMPICS NEW ZEALAND FEATURE

that New Zealanders love watching the Paralympic Games and supporting our athletes,” Melissa tells, “but we want to ensure that more New Zealanders continue to get the opportunity to participate, enjoy and support our athletes and Para sport. We continue to advocate for equity – in representation, support, funding, and understanding.”

A key driver for the PNZ team is to challenge and influence perceptions of disabled people through the achievements of Para athletes and Paralympians. “I truly believe we’re making a difference,” Melissa says genuinely. “The stories we tell about our athletes are well-received, and are inspirational. We’ve had a big increase in the number and size of our commercial partners, which shows the value the Paralympic Movement brings.” Last year, the Prime Minister announced pay equity for Para athletes on par with Olympians, taking effect from 2020, and it’s these actions which aid in elevating Para sport on a national level.

One of the historic hurdles with Para sport has been understanding disability classifications and caution around talking about impairments. “We knew that our athletes weren’t getting media coverage, and a few years ago we went out and asked reporters about why that was,” recalls Melissa. “We learned that people were hesitant because they didn’t want to get anything wrong, or know how to appropriately talk about disabled athletes. We worked through a variety of strategies with the media, and to provide access to content from international events, and coverage has now changed massively.”

Towards Tokyo With the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games set to start at the end of August, it’s all systems go for the PNZ team. The logistics and operational preparation kicked off as soon as the Rio 2016 Paralympics were complete, and from now onwards, sports will begin to register their athletes for nomination and selection. “Once we have athletes selected to the New Zealand Paralympic Team, we start preparing them to enter the Paralympic Games environment,” Melissa explains.

“Everything from media training to uniforms is covered off, and once we have qualified athletes, that’s when the media and public interest picks up, because they have people to invest in.”

the Celebration Project further confirmed that New Zealanders love watching the Paralympic Games and supporting our athletes.

Para swimming hub The PNZ Para Swimming office is based on the first floor of AUT Millennium, which provides the team with several benefits.

The National Training Centre gives athletes, coaches, administrators and support staff the room and resources to come together in one location. Cameron Leslie, Jesse Reynolds and Tupou Neuifi are three athletes based at AUT Millennium, and they are regularly joined by team mates from around the country for camps. With Swimming New Zealand and High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) on site also, AUT Millennium has become a hub for swimming on a national level, helping the sport’s development and professionalisation. Cameron Leslie has stepped into the National Para Swimming Development Coordinator role with Swimming NZ, using his own experience as an athlete to support and provide pathways for promising swimmers.

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“There’s an efficiency here that we wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere,” says Graeme Maw, Para Swimming Programme Leader. “Athletes and coaches can easily work with HPSNZ service providers, like physiotherapy and athlete life advisors. AUT Millennium themselves are great hosts, making it easy to integrate Para swimming into everything that’s being done here.”

High Performance Sport New Zealand has identified its targeted Para sports, where the funding is allocated. Cycling, swimming, shooting and athletics are targeted summer sports, alongside snow sports. “Snow sports is a great example of what success can do and breed,” says Melissa. “They have passionately driven their development programme, working with ski fields to make sure there are appropriate trainers and adaptive image credit: www.bwmedia.co.nz equipment, and there’s now a large number coming through the programme. Last year’s three-medal success at PyeongChang 2018 was a great reward for all that effort.”

PNZ is incredible grateful for the support received through government funding, grants from trusts and foundations, donations and commercial partnerships, however $700,000 is still needed to be raised to send the New Zealand Paralympic Team to Tokyo. Support from the public helps provide the best possible high performance environment and support structures for our Para athletes competing in the Paralympic Games.

You can support our Paralympians through donations of any size via the Paralympics New Zealand website, and follow their preparation towards Tokyo 2020 on Facebook and Instagram.

YOUR HEALTH, YOUR WAY

Your health is your most important asset.

Whatever good health looks like for you, we can help you get there.

AUTMILLENNIUM.ORG.NZ/GYM

SUMMER 19/20

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COMMUNITY GROUP FITNESS Make the most of our group fitness classes at AUT Millennium!

COMMUNITY GROUP FITNESS TIMETABLE Monday 6.00am 7.00am

Tuesday

Beginner Running Group 6.00am-7.00am

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Deep Water Running 9.30am-10.30am

Deep Water Running 9.30am-10.30am

Running Group 6.00am-7.00am

8.00am 9.00am 10.00am

Deep Water Running 9.30am-10.30am

Deep Water Running 9.30am-10.30am

Deep Water Running 9.30am-10.30am

10.30am

Deep Water Running** 10.45am-11.30am

11.00am 11.30am 12.00pm 1.00pm

Adult Swim Squad 12.15pm-1.00pm

5.30pm 6.00pm

Adult Swim Squad 12.15pm-1.00pm DWR 5.30pm - 6.30pm

6.30pm 7.00pm 7.30pm

DWR 6.30pm - 7.30pm

12.15pm-1.00pm Adult Swim Squad 6pm-7pm

Swim Squad DWR 5.30pm - 6.30pm

Adult Swim Squad 6pm-7pm

Deep Water Running (DWR): What we do in this class:

AUT Millennium Deep Water Running (DWR) is an enjoyable and challenging activity suitable for all fitness levels. Originally developed for running athletes rehabilitating from injury or wanting to improve aerobic capacity, the popular sessions are now enjoyed by all ages, from youth through to the elderly. You will learn proper running technique in the sessions which are designed and led by qualified running coach Kiri Price. With 150 marathons to her name, Kiri can help you be the best runner you can be. ** A lower intensity session suitable for beginners, recovery and rehabilitation.

Adult Swim Squad:

What we do in this class:

AUT Millennium Adult Swim Squad will help you refine swimming technique, improve aerobic capacity and build aquatic confidence.

The classes cater to a range of ability levels and are led by expert coaches who are committed to helping new members feel comfortable and included. Whether you’re building up for your first ocean swim, are a seasoned professional or simply want to shake up your fitness regime, our squad is an ideal option. Distances covered in a session range from 800m - 2.5km depending on your own ability.

Running Group:

What we do in this class:

Join our passionate running coach, Kiri Price, for a 60-minute track running session. With over 160 marathons to her name, Kiri uses her expertise to guide members through every class. Monday is for novice runners, working off a walk/run programme suitable for all fitness levels. Wednesday is a speed work session catered to a range of abilities. This class is held rain, hail or shine!

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A collection of our Everyday Champions @autmillennium #bethebestyoucanbe

@aimeejoyfisher

@auckland_mermaids

@autsportandrec

@cmj027

@domharveynz

@north_shore_swimming

@jordaanbolland

@joshua_thomas26

@finn.lucky.millie

@larssondivefitness

@soniakeepa

@staschalaev

Tag @autmillennium on Instagram for a chance to be featured! @nicolerobinson9835

@thisislian

@wholefoodnz SUMMER 19/20

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GYM MEMBER FEATURE

noel and gary

Climbing towards better health In November, one of our gym members took on the Eureka Tower Climb in Melbourne, walking up 88 flights of stairs. If you think that’s impressive, that’s not even the biggest challenge Noel’s overcome. We caught up with him in the lead up to the event to chat about what drove him to take part.

There are 11 flights of stairs at North Shore Hospital. Noel Austin knows them well, because for the past few months, he’s been quietly walking up them again and again and again. “It takes me around 37 minutes to get up them eight times, with the elevator ride back to the bottom lasting approximately one minute,” Noel says. He’s been using the hospital stairs as part of his training for the Eureka Stair Climb, a tower that stands 88 floors above Melbourne.

In essence, it’s all part of a plan to make sure he doesn’t end up back at the hospital for real.

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“22 November 2011, I remember the date clearly,” Noel tells. “I knocked on death’s door, and if I hadn’t gone to see the doctor, I wouldn’t have made Christmas dinner.” Heart issues run in Noel’s family, with his father passing away due to a heart attack at 60, and his two older brothers have also had heart problems. “I know I'm lucky to still be here,” Noel says candidly. “I’m determined to not drop dead like my dad, and I don’t want to sit and rot. I intend to live a long life, so I decided to commit to my health.”

Noel has been working with personal trainer Gary Kettless for two years, starting from a very limited base. Despite

GYM MEMBER FEATURE

having been a policeman for almost 40 years, and having to complete the required physical testing, injuries and health issues limited Noel’s fitness when he first met Gary. Add to his heart operation five knee surgeries, five fused vertebrae and a shoulder injury, and he had a lot to overcome. “I could hardly lift the bar without any weight on it,” he recalls. “I set a goal of chest pressing 100kg, we’ve been chipping away at that, and I’ve just got there. We’ve now set a dumbbell goal on top of the tower training.”

His resilience and commitment has brought strong results.

Noel’s lost 10kg, gained strength, increased his fitness, and for the first time in his life, is now able to touch his toes.

Most importantly, his attitude has changed, to the point where he now misses working out if he’s not able to make

I came so close to not being here. If I can do it, anyone can. it to the Gym. “I’ve seen massive changes in Noel since we started working together,” Gary tells. “His strength has improved, and he has all range of motion in his lower back.

His confidence is much higher and he’s now willing to try any exercise.”

Noel also had an ectopic heartbeat, which either skips or adds an extra beat to a regular rhythm. “It was 13% of my total beats,” Noel explains. “I was told I might need medical intervention, like a pacemaker, if I couldn’t lower that percentage.” Thanks to his training with Gary, when Noel returned to the cardiologist 12 months later, his ectopic heartbeat rate had reduced down to 1.3%. “It was such a relief when the cardiologist told me to get out of his office because he only treats sick people,” Noel laughs. “He shook my hand and told me to go for it on the tower!”

The challenge With two sons working as volunteer firefighters, Noel has seen the effort they put into their fitness. Last year, when he travelled with one of his sons to New York for the 101-floor 9/11 Memorial Tower Climb, Noel was inspired to try something similar. With research from his son, and clearance from his cardiologist, Noel set his sights on Eureka's 88 floors in the middle of November. He has been working out with Gary three times a week to prepare for the event, and it’s evident the pair have formed quite a bond. They joke and poke fun at each other, and have even set different challenges against one another. That fun environment helps motivate Noel, and keeps Gary on his toes too. “We mix our exercises up a lot, and have been pulling staff members on sleds, or I’ve made him pull me along the floor to make it enjoyable and avoid boredom,” Gary says.

Having a trainer who takes the time to understand his injuries and limitations, and works around them to push him, is a big element for Noel. “I’m not here to muck around,” he says, “and Gary will push me hard. He watches me to make sure I won’t get injured, and knows when to pull back. He’s a true professional who took the time to get to know me and my goals, rather than just jumping straight in.” The accountability of a trainer waiting for him helps Noel’s motivation, as well as the friendly Gym environment.

“The enjoyment comes from a lot of things, including seeing yourself progress, but also small things like being greeted by name.”

88 floors is a lofty goal, figuratively and literally, and Noel’s not assuming any personal pressure in the process. “There’s no time limit for the event, but just because I can take all day doesn’t mean I want to!” he laughs. He will tackle the tower in relation to the training he’s done at the hospital, knowing that he can break Eureka down to eight sets of eleven, with a minute or so rest to simulate the elevator to the bottom. Ultimately, it’s getting to the top that matters, not the time. “So long as I’m not going backwards, I’ll be happy,” he laughs. “There will definitely be a few bourbons sunk that night!”

In some sense, Noel still can’t believe what he’s got himself in for. It’s a challenge he’s both looking forward to and slightly scared of. “I’ve never done anything like this before, and here I am at 69, going for it,” he says. He’s aware there’s a stereotype around older people being limited in their exercise which may stop others from getting started with an exercise regime, but he’s an advocate for its importance. “I came so close to not being here, if I can do it, anyone can,” he implores. “Being fit doesn’t mean becoming a runner or a weightlifter. You can walk, or play bowls or swim. It starts by taking a series of small steps, then it becomes part of your lifestyle.”

Gary agrees, as he sees the evidence every week. “Noel’s a living testimony that exercise can and will improve your health, no matter what it is you’re wanting to achieve,” he says. “Not bad for a guy fast approaching his 70th birthday!”

A REAL EVERYDAY CHAMPION! Noel completed Eureka’s 88 floors in a time of 22.40 minutes, only one minute behind his grandson, and four minutes behind his firefighter-fit son! As well as his personal achievement, Noel raised over $1600 for the Fred Hollows Foundation, who work to provide high quality and affordable eye care in the Pacific Islands. Congratulations!

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WATER SAFETY FEATURE

Keep your family safe this summer The days are longer and warmer, and Kiwis tend to head towards any form of water over summer. We want all our AUT Millennium community to have a fun and safe summer holiday, so here are our top tips for making sure your whole family enjoys the season.

The ocean, rivers, lakes, or backyard pools, it doesn’t matter what type of water it is, during summer, we’re regularly on or in it. “Just add water” is a common phrase in the kitchen, but it could very easily be describing a traditional New Zealand summer. As an island nation, it’s especially important to be comfortable in the open water.

Often, parents and caregivers are very diligent in making sure their young ones are safe around water - actively supervised, wearing life jackets, wearing sun protection.

It’s essential for adults to take these same things into account, not only for their personal safety, but also to model the importance of water safety to the younger generations.

Different skills are required in open water and in the pool. You or your child could be confident in a flat water pool environment, but throw in rips, currents, waves and varying depths of the ocean, rivers and lakes, and there’s more variables to be aware of and know how to respond to. Teach your children to know what to do if they get into trouble, which is remain calm, float, and raise an arm to signal for help from a lifesaver or lifeguard. Learning how to identify rips as a family is a good exercise to upskill everyone.

Swimming between the flags is especially important

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at surf beaches, and adults shouldn’t overestimate their abilities or underestimate the conditions. The ocean is changeable, so the gentle waves outside the flags may not stay that way. Regardless of your abilities in the water, listen to the advice of lifeguards, and if in doubt, stay out!

Telling someone where you are going and when you expect to return is vital for any aquatic activity, especially if you’re going surfing, jetskiing or boating alone. Make sure everyone on your boat is wearing a correctly-fitting lifejacket, including adults and the skipper - it’s not enough to simply have them on board in case of emergency. If someone goes overboard, throwing something which floats (like a chilly bin) is often a good first reaction - this gives the person something to grab onto and a chance to calm down before a rescue is attempted.

If you’re looking at ways to introduce your child to the water, or to increase their water confidence, here’s some tips to try this summer: • Be water-confident yourself. Your child will feel more comfortable in the water if you are, they will follow your lead.

• Take it slow, and gradually increase their water confidence, by getting them used to being around water, and eventually in the water.

•

Make it fun. There are plenty of games you can play with them in the shallows at the beach, or in the pool, such as Marco Polo, What’s the time Mr Wolf? and I Spy that will get your child moving, and get their mind off being in the water.

• Use floatation aids to begin with, in order to help them feel safe in the water.

As the temperatures increase, and the water gets more and more tempting, keep these simple tips in mind for you and your family. As the TV commercial used to say “have fun in the water, but do what you oughta!”

STRONG SWIMMERS. CONFIDENT KIDS.

JOIN TODA Y! Learn to swim in New Zealand’s premiere aquatics facility!

PASSIONATE INSTRUCTORS.

STRUCTURED LESSONS

CLASSES FOR ALL AGES* *Classes from 3months to 80+!

09 477 2074 swimschool@autmillennium.org.nz www.autmillennium.org.nz/swimschool

2019 by the numbers

*

the Holiday Programme

3,627

585 kids in

BEDS booked in

Accomodation

515

177

yo in At

current AUT MILLENNIUM STAFF *

455 daily gym

18 *annual average from data as at 18/11/19

workouts

4

*

2,883

PAIRS OF GOGGLES SOLD

6,500+

children through a Water Safety practical sessioN

outh athletes thlete Development programmes

lessons

swim SCHOOL

93,000

*

426

functions booked

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RUSS HOGGARD FEATURE

An impressive track record

In June, Russ was honoured with a Queen’s Service Medal for services to athletics. The award was arranged by two of his past athletes, but that wasn’t known at the time. “Even on the day, I didn’t know how it all got started, I had to do a lot of detective work to find out where it came from,” he laughs. It’s fitting that it was a grassroots campaign which brought the recognition to fruition, as it’s this level where Russ had made an incredible contribution to New Zealand track and field.

For the past 17 years, that contribution has been with North Harbour Bays Athletics, based out of AUT Millennium. As well as acknowledgement from the Queen, Russ said he had dozens of messages following his investiture, and AUT Millennium Chief Executive Mike Stanley added his congratulations. “Russ has been an inspirational coach and mentor to so many athletes over the years,” says Mike.

“He has an outstanding record of success, both in terms of results on the track and in the value he has added to so many people’s lives. He is revered for his homespun wisdom and humour, and deeply admired for his humility and the respect he gives all.”

Together with Tony Catchpole, Russ operates the Bays Speed Development group, where runners come to work on their speed and conditioning. Calling Tony “the best mechanics coach I’ve ever worked with”, Russ swears by the pair’s year-long programme. “I think we’re the example of what all clubs should do,” Russ tells. “For those who want to take their running seriously, if they commit to following the programme, they will see results. I believe if you have someone for 12 months and can’t make a good runner out of them, then you’re not a very good coach.”

Russ Hoggard tells it like it is. At 90 years old, he could be forgiven for enjoying his twilight years in gentle retirement. But no, you’ll still find him out on the AUT Millennium track, rain or shine, stopwatch in hand, critiquing the next generation of sprinters.

After 60 years of coaching, from grassroots to international athletes, he has no intention of stopping. “I have a great love of track and field, and that keeps me happy,” he says.

“Maybe I’ll be doing it for another 20 years!”

Trust the process Russ’ leading athlete currently is hurdler Portia Bing, and her story exemplifies the process he believes is necessary for success. “Portia has had close to 14 years of athletics training, and she didn’t become an international until about five years ago,” Russ tells. “When she joined us, she was an ordinary kid, playing netball and other sports. Seven or eight years ago she came to me saying she wanted to be an athlete, and was prepared to give away everything else.”

To do so, Portia had to find a balance between training, working, studying and her personal life, and it’s worked, as she’s now the leading female hurdler in the country. “It’s a long, slow process, and you have to have patience,” Russ says. “You have to build your whole life around being an athlete, but you can see the development and improvement if you commit to the process.”

It’s that message that Russ tries to get across to his athletes, and their parents, from the start. He often fields emails from parents wanting to make their child into the next Olympic gold medalist while still at primary school. As a general rule of thumb, Russ prefers to work with athletes

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Russ talks training with hurdler Portia Bing. All images: Alisha Lovrich.

who are aged over 13, for their own benefit. “Kids should have fun, and compete, but not over-compete,” he says.

“They’re still growing, and can’t handle heavy workloads.

I feel some parents expect too much of their kids. At that age, it’s more important to just let them have a good time.”

competing, and the level would increase. But it’s just not happening.” Russ has tried several times to find a solution to the high school / club dynamic, and has come up short.

“It’s a delicate balance, and our sport hasn’t quite got it right.”

Current state of track and field

Wise words

Russ has seen a lot during his tenure, including efforts to advance the sport locally. He knows, though, that it’s a numbers game. “We’re too far away, and we don’t have enough people,” he posits on why New Zealand hasn’t consistently produced competitive sprinters. We have to send our best athletes away overseas not only to compete at the highest level, but just to race against suitable competition.”

With a chuckle, Russ says that it is nice to be able to sit back and purely coach now, and not be responsible for solving the challenges of the athletics world. He knows his lane, and is extremely happy there. At his age, he’s happy to still find enjoyment in the process of coaching. “I get just as much of a kick out of someone breaking 13 seconds for the 100m as I do when someone wins a national title,” he says with conviction. “I enjoy working with the young ones, and if I get a competitive runner and some medals out of it, that’s just a bonus.”

If he had a magic wand and deep pockets, one of his first tasks would be bridging the gap between schools and track and field clubs. “Schools have developed their own policies and are increasingly doing their own thing, in all sports,” he muses. “If a child is fast, they’re encouraged to play rugby, swim, or play netball for the school, and not get involved at club level. More often than not, schools are relying on the good nature of teachers, but they don’t know much about our sport at all, those coaches are at club level.”

As an example, he cites the national college track and field champs. “That is our biggest meeting every year, and this year, there will be about 1200 starters competing,” he tells.

“Those starters never come all the way through our sport, there’s a gap there. Tony and I are trying to bridge that gap, but not many other people are. If we had 30 groups like ours around the country, we would have more sprinters

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Russ says there are two tried and true pieces of advice which apply to any level of sport, from weekend warrior through to international competitor. “First of all, it has to be fun. If it’s not fun, you’re not going to do it,” he says.

“The other one I use all the time is ‘When the gun goes, the BS stops.’ If you haven’t done the work, you’ll know when the gun goes, and you won’t get the results.”

With an undeniable track record, you’d be remiss to bet against that wisdom.

To find out more about the Bays Speed Development group, visit their website:

www.sporty.co.nz/speeddevelopment

CONFERENCE

Team meetings, workshops or special events?

AUT Millennium Conference is the venue of champions!

Call 09 09 477 20ine or go onl ! to book

WWW.AUTMILLENNIUM.ORG.NZ/CONFERENCE SUMMER 19/20

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TRY OUR YOUTH ATHLETE ACADEMY FOR FREE!

JOIN NOW! FREE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE ASSESMENT

FREE ACADEMY SESSIONS

The Academy is an on-going training programme designed by Athlete Development for youth aged 8-18 years who want to improve faster and achieve more in the sports that they love by developing their athleticism.

For academy information, costs and to find out what we believe in, please get in contact with us!

W athletedevelopment.org.nz P (09) 477 2024 E info@athletedevelopment.org.nz

ATHLETEDEVELOPMENT.ORG.NZ 24

BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE

Spotlight on:

Auckland Mermaids The National Aquatic Centre sees a lot of different aquatic activity in any given week, and recently, it’s become home to the Auckland Mermaids Synchronised Swimming Club.

Arriving in New Zealand from Russia where she competed in and coached synchro swimming, Tamara Pavlova realised that the sport here could benefit from growth. After initially joining the coaching team of the North Harbour Synchro Club, she decided to set up her own club, with support from Synchro Swim NZ. “North Harbour were the only club in Auckland, and I knew I had the ability to start my own,” she recalls. “That was four years ago, and now we have about 25 swimmers in the club, and locations in central Auckland, West Auckland, and here at AUT Millennium.”

There’s been a surge of interest in synchro swimming, with the Mermaids now one of three Auckland-based clubs, and one of ten that competed at the recent national championships in Dunedin. The Mermaids have had an influx of interest in recent months that could see their numbers double.

Beginners spend a year or so building their swimming strength and being introduced to synchro fundamentals, such as sculling, starfishing and small tuck somersaults. As their skill and strength develop, they work on increasingly difficult routines, and present them at competitions to ageappropriate music – Harry Potter themes are common!

The sessions begin with a dryland training programme, working on flexibility, strength, stability and posture. During competition season, the squad will rehearse their routine on land until it becomes second nature. “We need to know the routine automatically,” Tamara tells. “That way, when they’re in the water, they’re not thinking about the count.

They know what they need to do and where they need to be.

Practicing the routine on land helps with this.” Following dryland training, the groups break off into the water and work on swimming skills, specific techniques and figures.

While it’s more common to see girls and women in synchro, Tamara is proud that a boy has recently joined the club, and is looking to grow that number. “It might not be a popular sport for boys, but it’s definitely a good one for them,” she says. “It’s not easy, requires discipline, and is very good strength and conditioning for them. I’d love to involve more boys in our club and the sport overall.”

*Image credit: Mifotoshows & Gail Stent Photography

WANT TO KNOW MORE? If you’re interested in finding out more about synchronised swimming, or to book in for a free trial session, visit the Auckland Mermaids website or follow them on Facebook: www.artswimauckland.co.nz www.facebook.com/Auckland.mermaids/

She’s also passionate about the all-round benefits the sport can provide young people, as it’s not just their water confidence which grows. “There’s obviously the sports side, it requires good fitness, strength and flexibility,” she tells.

“Our team environment also develops their communication skills, their motivation and ability to work towards a goal.

When we compete, there’s pressure to perform, and the girls can get a lot of confidence from performing under pressure.

They take those skills and can apply them in other aspects of life, like a school speech or applying for jobs in the future.”

As she looks to grow the club, Tamara has a very clear sense of her ‘why’. “I want to see my swimmers in the national team,” she says without hesitation. “It’s a long term process, and the kids and their parents need to understand that. I want to see as many of our kids in the Pikopiko and Koru squads as possible – competing in overseas competitions – so I will work hard to help them get there. I can tell they’re all passionate and I can see their progress.”

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SCHOOL HOLIDAY OPTIONS SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMME A fun, active environment for children aged 5-11, our Holiday Programme is a mix of on-site activities and off-site adventure days. Your child will learn, be challenged and develop in a variety of activities individually and with their peers.

Find out more about our Holiday Programme by contacting holidays@autmillennium.org.nz

AD HOLIDAY ACADEMY Our Athlete Development Holiday Academy is an immersive holiday programme for young people aged 10-15 who love to move. The focus is on activity and learning through having fun while overcoming different movement challenges. Our coaches are experts in the field of youth development and will compile a performance report assessing your child’s speed, power, agility and maturation.

Find out more about AD’s Holiday Academy via info@athletedevelopment.org.nz

SWIM SCHOOL INTENSIVES Perfect if your child could use some more pool time to help them master a specific stroke or is looking to move up a level. Held every holidays, intensives help children increase their confidence in the water and make a great difference in their swimming abilities. Open to Swim School members and public.

For more information for upcoming holiday intensives, contact swimschool@autmillennium.org.nz

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Check that mole with firstcheck It seems every year our lives get busier and busier, demands rise, and the complexities of life continue to add further burden. Unfortunately, this often means we neglect ourselves. This is seen daily with regards to one’s health. Without going into all the flow-on effects to one’s health from our ‘push through’ attitude (as this would create a doorway to almost all aspects of healthcare), let’s talk about the common thought that nags away but we often leave for years – that concerning mole.

As a Skin Cancer Doctor here at HealthZone Medical, I base the required work in this field within my General Practice.

We don’t heavily advertise this, but want to make sure our patients and local area are aware that I am available to all patients, not just enrolled, for these services.

As one of the Firstcheck doctors providing this service, I’ve been able to help many patients identify concerning lesions but often alieve concerns about moles that are fine, erasing that nagging burden they’ve had for weeks, months, or potentially years.

My first statement is, nothing will be as good as having a full-body mole check, in person, with a skin cancer professional trained in dermoscopy like myself. Here at HealthZone this costs $150, and will last about 30 minutes.

However, if you can’t get to us, just have one or two moles you want to check, and have a smartphone, let me introduce you to Firstcheck.

So for the time poor, here is your next best option.

Firstcheck is an app that allows you to take photos of your moles (ideally with the ‘SkinScope’ tool available to purchase through the app for improved doctor feedback and advice). You can then send these photos plus any relevant history (which is prompted for at the time with a questionnaire), and then select the specialist who you wish to review this. Wait time? Minimal wait, within 24-48 hours at most you’ll have a report back from the specialist.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

www.firstcheck.me

or search ‘Firstcheck’ in the App Store or Google Play.

Dr Sam Mayhew FRNZCGP MBChB DipPaed DipDermoscopy DipSkinCancerMed Fellow Skin Cancer Institute FIFA DipFootballMed HPSNZ Medical Director for Triathlon NZ and Pathway 2 Podium

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NEW ZEALAND’S ONLY CONCEPT STORE

SWIMWEAR • GOGGLES • CAPS • TRAINING ACCESSORIES

OPEN 7 DAYS

or shop online at shop.autmillennium.org.nz AUT Millennium Speedo Shop 17 Antares Place, Rosedale.

(09) 477 2074 28

RANGITOTO COLLEGE

With ten students nominated for awards across a variety of sports, Rangitoto College was one of the best-represented schools at the 2019 College Sport Auckland Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards.

These awards, held at Eden Park, celebrate the outstanding sporting achievements of secondary school students Auckland-wide. Four of our students won awards in their respective categories. Shaunna Li won the female Badminton award, and in the male categories, Samuel Poching and Seb Menzies took the top awards in Swimming and Sailing respectively. Seb was also named as an overall finalist for Young Sportsman of the Year. Centaine NoomDuckworth was one of the recipients of an All Rounder award.

nationals, first at the Australian 420 nationals, second at the World 420 Championships in Portugal and first at the World Youth Championships in Poland, all with his crewmember Blake McGlashan from Westlake Boys High School.

Shaunna Li

Centaine, winner of the coveted All Rounder award, is a member of our premier basketball team, which placed third at the College Sport Auckland Championships, and was also a member of the New Zealand under-19 basketball women’s squad.

Alongside basketball, Centaine also plays volleyball in the College’s premier team which placed third at the College Sport Auckland Championships. In addition to these achievements with her teams, Centaine is also ranked top in New Zealand for the under-18 women’s hammer throw.

Both Shaunna and Seb have won their respective award for two consecutive years, recognising their continued achievements at regional and national levels. Shaunna is a member of the premier badminton team that came first in the North Harbour League and placed fourth overall at nationals. Shaunna also placed first in the College Sport Auckland individual tournament, first in the Oceania junior women’s singles, and was a runner up at the North Island open women’s singles. She also achieved first in singles, doubles and mixed North Island Under 19 Open and is the New Zealand national women’s singles champion.

Samuel swam in the College Sport Auckland Champion of Champions where he placed third in the 50 metre butterfly and 50 metre backstroke. As a member of the relay team, he placed first in the backstroke relay and second in butterfly relay. At the New Zealand Age Group Championships, Samuel placed first in the 400 metre individual medley and second in the 400 and 200 metre freestyle, 200 and 100 metre backstroke, and 100 metre butterfly. To top it off, Samuel is a member of the New Zealand Development Bronze squad.

Samuel Poching

Seb was a member of the Rangitoto sailing team that placed second in the College Sport Auckland Fleet Racing Regatta and first at the New Zealand Secondary School teams racing. He also placed first at the New Zealand 420

Centaine Noom-Duckworth

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Seb Menzies

www.sporty.co.nz/rangitoto

@rangitoto_sport

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ALUMNI FEATURE

Chloe McKenzie Strength and Conditioning Coach, High Performance Sport New Zealand / Owner, Next Level Netball Doctor of Philosophy candidate Master of Sport and Exercise Postgraduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise Bachelor of Sport and Recreation in Sport and Exercise Science Helping athletes achieve their goals is what she loves most about her career as a strength and conditioning coach, says sport and recreation alumna Chloe McKenzie.

“I’m working with High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) as a strength and conditioning coach, which includes working with the Northern Stars netball franchise.

I also have my own business, Next Level Netball, which provides strength and conditioning services to netball teams and individual players in secondary schools.

“I love working with athletes and helping them get to where they want to be. The most rewarding part about the job is seeing the athletes I’m working with achieve their goals and improve on something they’ve been working towards.”

Pursuing her passion She has always had a love for sport, says Chloe, whose passion for sport and recreation saw her take on study from undergraduate level all the way up to a PhD. “I was involved in many different sports growing up, and I decided to follow that passion and make a career out of it.

I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in sports, and I enrolled at AUT because it was the best choice for me to do so. AUT is a modern, forward-thinking university with a strong emphasis on integrating theory with practice and strong connections with the sports industry.

Image credit: Alisha Lovrich

“Throughout my studies, I’ve enjoyed building my network, and making connections with people within the sports industry, particularly in strength and conditioning. One of the highlights for me was my third-year workplace experience, which I completed with a national sporting organisation. It opened up many doors for me. I’m proud of the growth and development, both personally and professionally, throughout my time with AUT.” When it was time to decide where to do postgraduate study, her positive experiences throughout her undergraduate degree made it easy for Chloe to remain at AUT. “Because of my positive experiences and the opportunities

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AUT provided, I never looked elsewhere to continue my studies. I wanted to pursue a career as a strength and conditioning coach, and by doing postgraduate study I was able to get a deeper understanding of the science, evidence-based practice, and theory behind strength and conditioning. I loved that I was able to continue working in the industry while completing my postgraduate study.”

Helping minimise netball injuries For her PhD research, Chloe investigated the NetballSmart Dynamic Warm-up; a topic close to her own heart.

“I chose this topic due to my involvement in netball as a strength and conditioning coach, and my love for the game.

Netball is a popular, physically demanding female sport with a high risk of lower limb injury, particularly to the ankle and knee. In my role as a strength and conditioning coach, I see first-hand the high numbers of injuries that can result from playing netball.

“Netball New Zealand has recently introduced the NetballSmart Dynamic Warm-up, and my research aimed to determine if this recently developed approach could improve physical performance measures in female youth netball players. I hope that my research can assist with the implementation of the programme, and furthermore contribute to the improvement of the physical performance profile in youth athletes.”

Chloe’s research has been supervised by Associate Professor Chris Whatman and Dr Matt Brughelli from AUT’s School of Sport and Recreation.

ALUMNI FEATURE

Erika Ikeda Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical Research Council Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom Doctor of Philosophy Master of Health Science with Honours Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science in Physical Activity and Nutrition She chose AUT because of the calibre of her supervisor, says Erika Ikeda who came to AUT as an international student from Japan.

“After I completed my bachelors degree in Japan, my research interest had shifted from exercise physiology to physical activity in children and youth.

“When I first contacted Professor Erica Hinckson from AUT’s School of Sport and Recreation and expressed my interest in studying at AUT, I had no doubt that I was going to have my postgraduate journey with her. Her professional knowledge, experience and kindness made my decision easy.”

Encouraging more active journeys For Erika, this first encounter with AUT was only the start of her postgraduate experiences, and she has since gone on to complete a postgraduate diploma, masters degree and a PhD. For her doctoral research, she explored how children’s active travel to school is associated with environmental attributes in Auckland.

Image credit: Alisha Lovrich

“After I completed my masters degree, I worked as a research officer at the Human Potential Centre where I became familiar with active travel (eg walking and cycling) and the built environment. I was attracted to this topic because I was born and raised in Tokyo, and it was socially acceptable for Japanese children to walk or cycle around their neighbourhoods on their own. But when I moved to Auckland, it was the opposite – many Kiwi kids were driven to school and other places.

“New Zealand has one of the highest rates of child obesity, and one of the lowest rates of active travel to school internationally. Children’s active school travel is interrelated with multifaced factors including built and social environments, households and children. Shorter distance to school and higher safety perceptions are key for children actively travelling to school. My research

may contribute to informing and measuring changes in children’s active school travel.”

After recently completing her PhD, Erika is now building on her understanding of young people’s physical activity as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cambridge.

Her research will focus on physical activity epidemiology, and the development and evaluation of public health interventions in young people.

A supportive research culture The opportunities for multidisciplinary research and collaboration are what she has enjoyed most about her studies at AUT, Erika says.

“One of the most enjoyable experiences and greatest advantages of studying at AUT was being able to conduct multidisciplinary research and collaborate with domestic and international researchers as well as private industries.

These opportunities and experiences have broadened my horizons and provided me with a lot of motivation for my PhD research.”

She also appreciated having access to the Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ) and its fantastic facilities.

“I really liked the study environment. All students were self-motivated and supporting each other which brought positive energy into our postgraduate room and improved the culture at SPRINZ. Personally, this environment enabled me to maintain my mental and social wellbeing and the facilities at AUT Millennium – especially the swimming pools – helped me balance study, work and exercise life.”

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FOUNDATION CLUBS At the end of September, nine of our U12 teams took to our home pools to thrash out placings in the Tournament of Olympic Hopefuls. With a huge contingent of youngsters involved, we were thrilled to have over 100 boys and girls playing water polo in the deep pools. Our top team, the North Harbour Seahorses, took the title to win the A Grade competition. All our other teams fared well throughout the three day event, gaining another gold, silver and bronze medals.

Saturday 21 September saw us host the inaugural Finn Lowery Foundation Gala Dinner in the Finish Line at AUT Millennium. With 270 people in attendance, we were ecstatic to raise over $120,000 for the Wellbeing Programme being set up to assist families within our community to cope with mental illness. Huge thanks to AUT Millennium for their kind donation towards the evening.

Early October saw seven of our teams compete in the New Zealand U16 National Championships at various pools around Auckland. Our Maroon boys team took the national title for 2019 with coach Dave Couper at the helm. Our Maroon girls got through to the final and were happy to bring home the silver medal under the guidance of Chelsea Geary. In Division 2, our White boys took out the gold medal match and our Black girls took the bronze medal.

A special mention to Claire Watson who received a Sporting Acknowledgement Award for her service throughout the season and all the behind-the-scenes work she does for our club.

U16 Girls - National silver

We are now looking forward to the end of the season where our U14 teams will travel outside of Auckland to compete at their National Championships. Also a big shout out to Dave Couper, who will be travelling to Kuwait with the New Zealand team in December as a referee for the Men's Junior World Championships. Our club members Brandon Matthews, Rowan Brown, James Catlin and Matt Morris are travelling members of the national Junior Men’s team.

The club continues to work hard to achieve good results, but also to ensure our players are given as many opportunities as possible to become the best they can be.

Both pools are being used every night with as many players as we can possibly fit into each session. We continue to grow the number of members within our club and within this facility and find more parents and families are taking opportunities to join AUT Millennium Gym while their children are training.

U16 Boys - National gold

To complete our season, we were announced as finalists at the North Harbour Sports Awards for Club of the Year along with: Senior Women: finalists for the Team of the Year James Catlin: finalist for Junior Sportsman of the Year Clodagh Weir and Lucia Doak: finalists for Junior Sportswoman of the Year U18 Hawaii Men: finalists for International Team Performance

A huge thank you to AUT Millennium, board and staff for continuing to support North Harbour Water Polo Club. With six national titles so far this year, our club will continue to strive to be the best we can be. We are also excited to launch our new Wellbeing Programme in the new year, assisting players and families in times of need.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Interested in trying Flippa Ball or Water Polo?

Find out more about North Harbour Water Polo Club today: www.northharbourwaterpolo.co.nz waterpoloadmin@autmillennium.org.nz

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FOUNDATION CLUBS It’s all go at Bays Athletics with our summer season which started in October! Junior Club nights are on Tuesday nights at AUT Millennium from 5.15pm for anyone from 4 to 14 years of age. Come along and have a go!

IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 It’s been an exciting few months, with some of our top club athletes representing New Zealand at the World Athletics Championships in Doha in September.

The New Zealand team included Portia Bing (coached by Russ Hoggard), Zoe Hobbs (coached by James Mortimer), Edward Osei-Ntekia, and NorthSport Academy-coached athletes Malcolm Hicks (coached by Paul Hamblyn) and Caden Shields (coached by Chris Pilone).

Sprinter Edward Osei-Nketia starting his 100m beside USA’s Justin Gatlin

Winter distance running results Back at home, the New Zealand Road Relay Championships were held in Fielding in early October. The Bays Senior Women’s team put in a great effort to come second. The team members were Fiona Love, Sabina Piras, Katrina Andrews, Lana Van Hout, Bella Bloomfield, Anneke Grogan and Amy Shaw. We were also represented by a Senior Men’s team who placed fifth. Last year’s title holders, our Junior Men placed fourth, and our second women’s team entered the social division and placed fourth. All up 26 club members competed, and had a great weekend away!

The start of August saw the New Zealand Cross Country Championships in Upper Hutt where Cameron Graves had a very strong win in the Senior Men’s 10km with a time of 31:25. Cameron had just returned from supporting World Championship athletes Malcom Hicks and Caden Shields at the Athletics New Zealand training camp in Cypress. We also had another great result at this event with Amy Hurly earning the title of Under 12 girls champion in the 2km race with a time of 7:25.

Daikin Night of 5s Come and watch New Zealand’s premier middle distance runners compete at the Daikin Night of 5s at the AUT Millennium track on Friday 20 December. Bays Athletics has run this event since 2011, and it’s bigger and better every year. The evening includes races from 800m to 5km for all ages. The main events of the night are the men’s and women’s 5km. There will be plenty of entertainment alongside some great races to watch with music, food, fun activities and a bouncy castle.

Friday 20 December 2019, AUT Millennium Stadium

WANT TO KNOW MORE? If you would like more information on North Harbour Bays Athletics, please get in touch today. baysathletics@autmillennium.org.nz Senior Women's team - Second at National Road Relay Championships

www.baysathletics.co.nz Coaching www.northsportcoaching.co.nz

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FOUNDATION CLUBS

Chandler Hoffman lifted on the first day of competition in the 73kg class under the guidance of coach Nicole Kumerich. He achieved personal best numbers on both lifts, snatching 83kg and managing 108kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 191kg. This earned him a silver medal in the junior division and tops a very successful year of lifting

by Chandler.

Coached by Stas Chalaev, Bayley Garnham competed in the 89kg class on the second day of competition. Bayley won a silver medal in the junior division by lifting 90kg in the snatch and 115kg in the clean and jerk for a 205kg total - only 5kg off first place.

Also coached by Stas was Kelly McGowan, who competed in the women’s 64kg class in the first session on Saturday. Kelly successfully lifted 57kg in the snatch, but unfortunately did not make the total as the judges did not approve her lifts in the clean and jerk.

Chandler Hoffman

The 2019 New Zealand Senior and Junior Olympic Weightlifting Championships were hosted by the Functional Strength club in Rosedale from Friday 1 - Sunday 3 November. The National Championships is the pinnacle event of the domestic season in which New Zealand’s best junior and senior lifters compete for national titles.

Competitors must achieve a qualification standard in order to be eligible to compete. The National Championships were in their 80th year in 2019 and three NorthSport lifters competed at the event.

KELLY MCGOWAN

On Saturday 30 November, Olympic Weightlifting Auckland and NorthSport Olympic Weightlifting hosted Round 3 of the Rod Kennedy Auckland Clubs Team Series at AUT Millennium. This was the deciding instalment of the 2019 Rod Kennedy Classic and is the final championship event for the year in Auckland. It was the last chance for lifters to qualify in New Zealand for these key international events in 2020: • Australian Open Weightlifting Tournament • International Weightlifting Federation Junior World Championships • Arnold Weightlifting Championships • Oceania & Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships

WANT TO KNOW MORE? If you are interested in getting involved in Olympic weightlifting, please email us for more information.

BAYLEY GARNHAM

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northsportweightlifting@gmail.com

FOUNDATION CLUBS Caro Cup The Caro Cup was first competed for in 1949. It is an annual competition between Auckland and Waikato. After a 10year hiatus, Swimming Auckland and Swimming Waikato reinstated the annual competition in 2016, in the form of an under-13 relay meet.

New Zealand Short Course Championships

The 2019 edition of the dual meet was held on Sunday 10 November at Water World in Hamilton. 45 North Shore Swimming athletes took part in this relay event and helped the Auckland region secure the Caro Cup for the second year in a row.

New Zealand Short Course Championships The National Short Course Championships were held at AUT Millennium’s National Aquatic Centre in the first week of October. Once again North Shore Swimming athletes stepped up to take the Top Club Award for this meet with a combined team (male and female) score of 3064 points.

Our swimmers secured a total of 72 age group and open medals over the five day meet, consisting of 33 gold, 22 silver and 17 bronze.

Australian State Teams Championships Touted as the loudest event of the year across the ditch, the annual State Teams Championships was held in October at the renowned Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

Over three days, 281 junior swimmers stepped up to the blocks, to represent their state, territory or country – including a trans-Tasman contingent from New Zealand.

Summer Osborne, Andy Cheong, Sam Poching, Cameron Gray, Zoe Crawford and Melissa Cowen were the six North Shore Swimming athletes to represent New Zealand at this meet. They were part of a team of 40 Kiwi swimmers who left New Zealand for a staging camp in the Gold Coast prior to competing in Canberra against the seven Australian states. The New Zealand team gained fourth place overall with 1309 points.

Auckland Caro Cup Team

ASA Junior Championships At the time of writing, our junior swimmers are currently working towards the ASA Junior Championships which are being held at Westwave in early December. This meet is a lead up to the New Zealand Junior Harlequins Festival in March next year. Held over three days, the ASA Junior Championships is a qualifying meet which will see over 50 junior athletes from North Shore Swimming take to the pool for racing.

Victorian State Age Group Championships A number of North Shore Swimming athletes have been selected to represent Auckland Swimming at the Victorian State Age Group Championships in Melbourne this December. Congratulations goes to Andie Quirke, Cameron Gray, Chloe Seaman, Claudia Enderby, Hunter Garrod, Melissa Cowen, Patrick Makgill, Sungju Kim and Zoe Crawford.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? If you would like to find out more about North Shore Swimming Club, please visit our website: Australian State Teams Championships

www.northshoreswimclub.org.nz

SUMMER 19/20

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Facilities & Services AUT MILLENNIUM SERVICES Swim School (09) 477 2074 swimschool@autmillennium.org.nz Gym (09) 477 2011 memberships@autmillennium.org.nz Sir Owen G. Glenn National Aquatic Centre (09) 477 2074 aquatics@autmillennium.org.nz Accommodation (09) 477 7019 accommodation@autmillennium.org.nz Conference (09) 477 2009 conference@autmillennium.org.nz

Schools Programme (09) 477 2043 schools@autmillennium.org.nz Athlete Development (09) 477 2012 info@athletedevelopment.org.nz Human Potential Clinic hpc@autmillennium.org.nz Sports Performance Clinic spc@autmillennium.org.nz Holiday Programme (09) 477 2000 holidays@autmillennium.org.nz Speedo Shop shop@autmillennium.org.nz

HEALTH SERVICES HealthZone Physiotherapy (09) 477 2098 admin@healthzone.org.nz HealthZone Medical (09) 477 2090 reception@hzmedical.co.nz

Ascot Radiology (09) 478 6640 Orthosports (09) 477 2080 office@orthosports.co.nz

SPORTS CLUBS AND COMMUNITIES

EATERIES

High-Performance Sport New Zealand (09) 477 5420 info@hpsnz.org.nz Athletics New Zealand (09) 477 0210 info@athletics.org.nz Swimming New Zealand (09) 478 2916 info@swimmingnz.org.nz Tennis New Zealand (09) 528 5428 info@tennis.kiwi North Harbour Bays Athletics (09) 477 2035 baysathletics@autmillennium.org.nz North Harbour Water Polo Club (09) 477 2021 admin@northharbourwaterpolo.co.nz NorthSport Olympic Weightlifting @NorthSportOlympicWeightlifting on Facebook North Shore Swimming www.northshoreswimclub.org.nz/contact Aktive Auckland – Coaching (09) 921 9999 ext 5197 Constellation Community Trust Kevin Lunny, Managing Director kevin@apexlogistics.co.nz

Wholefood Bistro 021 0255 7241 wholefood.cafeandstore@gmail.com Little French CafĂŠ 027 373 6977 wholefood.cafeandstore@gmail.com Subway (09) 475 5063

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