We've all heard some hard case thank yous from sports people to their mothers over the years.
Let's face it ... nobody could have embarked on a sporting career of any kind had their mothers not introduced them to the world. But Hawke's Bay judo exponent Thomas Mackenzie who will be the sole Hawke's Bay representative in the New Zealand team at the Oceania championships in Tonga next week has a little bit extra to thank his mother Lizz Mackenzie for.
"Mum did her nursing training with Melissa Jones when we were living in Gisborne. Melissa's partner Jason King is the head coach of the Gisborne Judo Club and it is through them that I first got involved with judo five years ago," Mackenzie, 16, explained.
A Havelock North High School Year 12 student who moved to the Bay last year, Mackenzie, will be the only Kiwi cadet male in the under-18 under 81kg division in Tonga. While the April 28 and 29 champs will be his first taste of official New Zealand representation he has had regular trips across the Tasman in search of international competition.
"I want to get among the medals. I'm not sure how many other competitors I will be up against and it could be a knockout event," Mackenzie said.