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tessa berger WORDS
kathy
hunter
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caitlin
ows t o n - do y l e
Occasionally one comes across an uber-human, whose consistent level of high achievement seems effortless. Meet Tessa Berger: international women’s footballer, American President’s List scholar, entrepreneur, environmental advocate… and 21 years old. Tessa has a rich local background, with her Puhoi bohemian ancestry going back to the 1860s. Tessa was only three when her grandfather Rupert Berger died in 1997 but his legacy looms large in her heart and the family. “The crowd at his funeral stretched from the Puhoi Church all the way back to the bridge,” she says. Tessa’s early academic and sporting promise was exceeded by the time she hit double digits. New Zealand Football first identified her at the age of 10, and by 16 she was training with the Football Ferns and ‘carded’ by High Performance Sport NZ, gaining access to full funding for performance support. She played at the 2012 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Japan at 17. Tessa graduated from Epsom Girls Grammar School with many offers of scholarships from universities around the globe. She settled on a full athletic scholarship at Florida Gulf Coast University in the United States where she whipped a double major in Business Management and Accounting. She was recognised on the President’s List for her perfect grade point average. She came home to Mahurangi West in 2014 and within a few months had launched her business, The Merchandise Collective. It’s a merchandising platform that is influenced by street and college wear, but it’s seriously high-end. Really good cotton, great tailoring and well-made, they’re gender-neutral, metropolitan-inspired pieces that reference New Zealand’s major cities and regions. The range ‘bridges the gap between fashion and merchandising’. The concept was born in her uni years in America. “They’re so patriotic and everything is merchandised. The market’s literally worth billions.” Tessa saw an opportunity to establish the market in New Zealand. “People have such a connection to this country, whether they’re born and raised here, ex-pats or just visiting – but all we have to wear are cheap ‘I heart NZ’ t-shirts. I thought, what if I could create affordable basics that work with this concept, but don’t compromise on quality and aesthetic?” But wait, there’s more. Recently Tessa has followed in her father’s and grandfather’s footsteps by taking up roles on local boards. She was elected President of the 40-year old environmental organisation Mahurangi Action Incorporated in November last year. And her social and environmental views also saw her named chair of the Mahurangi Coastal Trail Trust. It’s this last which makes her sea-blue eyes light up – this is a passion. There’s a very beautiful little beach called Te Muri at the south end of Mahurangi Regional Park. Currently it’s only accessible on foot or by
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Above: Tessa at Maurangi Regional Park. Right; Auckland Sweatset.
boat. The Auckland Council has indicated that there is an option to put a road in to Te Muri, along with a very large car park. Tessa is fired up. “It’s so short-sighted! We need a plan for Te Muri that offers a number of sustainable means of access, one that recognises the natural surroundings of the land. The Mahurangi Coastal Trail will preserve that untouched beauty and at the same time it’s a unique opportunity to link two Regional Parks.” There’d be a beautiful walkway and a bridge from Wenderholm to Te Muri. Draft submission feedback is still coming in regarding the Trail, but now Tessa has got Duane Major and Adam Gard’ner on board. They’re the guys behind the ‘Gift the Beach’ campaign earlier this year which saw the public successfully purchase Awaroa Beach in the Abel Tasman National Park. Watch this space. Tessa’s full of the injustices of the world – and you get the feeling they won’t last long if she trains her eagle eye on them. Women in sport? “Still such inequality, as there is across the board when it comes to
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