JUNIOR EXCELLENCE AWARD (SPORT)
Photo credit: Tommy Pyatt.
PRESENTED TO ...
Liam Richards
FREESTYLE SKIER AND SAILOR (11) Born in Switzerland and emigrating to New Zealand in 2015, Liam Richards has been skiing since the age of two and has never looked back. At the age of seven, he attended his first ever New Zealand Junior Freeski Nationals and now holds several awards, and last year was selected for the Snow Sports NZ national development team at the tender age of 10, even though it is generally just for skiers aged 12 to 14. Just this year alone, Liam has won the USA Freeski Nationals in Slopestyle U12 category (beating more than 60 competitors); was second in the NZ Slopestyle series U14 category; achieved gold in
the North Island New Zealand Slopestyle series U14; and won two events at Turoa. He attended a training camp in Colorado early this year, and is sponsored by Scott Freeski. His future goal is to win a medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in either Slopestyle or Halfpipe, and to do that will take training over several months of the year both in New Zealand and Europe. However, skiing is not Liam’s only passion. He took up sailing when he arrived in New Zealand, and has been very competitive within the Optimist fleet over the past three years. In 2018 he was ranked 34th overall and the second 10-year-old boy, and this year is ranked the top 11-year-old nationally and 17th in New Zealand overall. He also qualified to represent New Zealand at the Asian and Oceanian Championships in Oman. All of Liam’s sport is complemented by achieving excellence in his school work. He attends Belmont Intermediate School and is in the extension class for Year 7. While training down in Cardrona, he completes correspondence school with Te Kura three days a week. Significant costs for Liam’s sports are paid by his family, which this year totalled around $25,000. He needs a new $10,000 trampoline for training at home, allowing him higher bounce and the opportunity to practice bigger tricks before taking them to snow. In addition to the skiing, Liam spent $13,000 attending the Optimist Asian Championships in October, and is hoping to qualify for the Optimist Worlds or European teams in 2020, with a likely cost of $15,000. “I’m really excited to be receiving this award, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity,” Liam says. “The thing I remember most about the interview is being really nervous before it and really happy after. I thought the interview went well!” Liam Richards receives the Junior Excellence Award from the North Harbour Club – sponsored by Precise Homes – including a cash grant of $3000. All of the winners also receive a 12 month gym membership from AUT Millennium.
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Photo credit: Hamish McDougall.