Shayla Thompson, Josie Yeager, Lyla Woolston, Taimania Roberts, Te Amokura Nicholson and Tia Tamatea are among a large junior contingent to represent Hoe Aroha Whanau o Mauao at the Vaka Eiva in Rarotonga.
Shayla Thompson, Josie Yeager, Lyla Woolston, Taimania Roberts, Te Amokura Nicholson and Tia Tamatea are among a large junior contingent to represent Hoe Aroha Whanau o Mauao at the Vaka Eiva in Rarotonga.
Hoe Aroha Whanau o Mauao waka ama paddlers are set to leave on Thursday aboard a 60-seater bus on a trip destined for Rarotonga's 10th Vaka Eiva event.
Any more passengers and the club could almost have chartered the plane, too.
A total of 38 paddlers in seven junior crewsand about 30 senior paddlers will make the trip to an event expected to attract more than 1000 paddlers from countries including Australia, Tahiti, Hawaii, Guam, Canada and the US.
Junior convener Theresa Wharehura, whose role encompasses advertising, organising and coaching the younger paddlers, was excited about the trip during a practice session at Pilot Bay on Sunday. "They've all worked so hard all year, they've been training since February."
Crew members, many of whom also train for representative teams in other sports, have been putting in the hard yards three days a week on the water and in the gym. The club has grown to have more than 120 members ranging from masters to 7-10-year-olds. It uses uses Mauao and Mount Drury for running and occasionally Main Beach to train in the surf and families enjoy the picturesque environment.
