Akayshia Williams paddles to the max in silence

Akayshia Williams: “I like to go hard out, from the start of every race. I just want gold.” Picture by Garrick Cameron/.www.studio5.co.nz

MAREIKURA Waka Ama Club’s Akayshia Williams paddles in a world of silence. But that has not stopped the 21-year-old teacher aid at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga a Maui School from winning the national open W1 500-metre title the past two years, after winning the W1J19 500m title in 2016.

Born “profoundly deaf” the softly spoken and humble Williams now has cochlear implants.

“She has to take them out when she on the water, which makes it hard for her,” said her father Ashley.

“But she’s never let it worry her and had worked hard along with her coach Greg Brightwell to get where she is today.

“We had to travel to Christchurch when Akayshia was nine to get the implants in.

“It was when Rico (Gear, former All Black) who is Akayshia’s Godfather was playing for the Crusaders and he would meet us and look after us.

“He’s been a role model for all of us, a great guy. Kuini and I are extremely proud of Akayshia, as we are of all our family, (younger sister Rangi-Riana and brother Dean, former Poverty Bay rugby rep) it’s just that Akayshia has had to do it the hard way.

“We can’t speak highly enough of Greg, who saw something in Akayshia when she was young around nine.

“When Akayshia paddles W6 she wants to be at the front but because she can’t hear the call to change or increase the rate, Greg came up with a jandal paddle.

“It’s a small paddle that has a jandal on it and they put it under Akayshia’s front seat and when they want to change or paddle faster, the girl in the second seat steps on the paddle once to change side, two taps to paddle faster.

Akayshia said it was Raewyn Tarawa who first introduced her to Waka Ama when she attended Te Wharau school.

“Initially because of her deafness, Akayshia was shy about competing but Greg and her have worked out their own sign language and Akayshia has earned the respect of paddlers not just in Gisborne and New Zealand but around the world,” said Ashley.

Sunshine Coast Worlds“She competed in the world champs on the Sunshine Coast in 2016 where she won the J19 W1 title and set a world record time.

“And she’s going to compete, along with other paddlers from Mareikura at this year’s world champs in Tahiti.

“It’s going to be tough. Some of the best women paddlers in the world will be competing”

Akayshia admitted that she was nervous but excited at the start of very race, particularly finals.

“I like to go hard out, from the start of every race. I just want gold. But Greg works out the tactics and I try to follow his advice. Sometimes it’s about conserving energy in the heats, sometimes it’s about getting the right lane.”

Akayshia trains six days a week (Friday off) twice a day.

“I train from 6am until 7am then head to school at 8, then I’m back on the water after school, from 4pm until around 5.30pm.

“I love Waka Ama. It helps me stay fit and I like being competitive. It’s also good tbe a part of a club, team sport."

Brightwell said even as a 10-year-old girl “alone in silence on her waka, that was to her advantage”.

“It meant she had to perform her tasks learning quicker than the others,” said the master coach.

“I recognised this key potential, her determination to perform well. Even back then I could see that Akayshia had the potential be be a future national W1 paddler.

“She always had great self discipline and a huge drive to succeed. She has natural sporting talent.

“I trained her to be a waka technician. She demands totally correct instructions with a clear purpose to win.

“She needs to understand every technical aspect before performing it to the best of her abilities. We both share a take no prisoners attitude on the water.

“Off the water, I use sports that she enjoys like kickboxing, cycling, running, boxing, circuit training.

“Akayshia sees the link with these in enhancing her performance, and that all relates to her success as a paddler.”

Can she win gold at the world champs in Tahiti?

“Her current speed and glide indicate that she is on track for gold. We are going for a personal best and world record in Tahiti.

"The conditions at Taaone Bay where the World Sprints are held can change from flat water to a bit of swell. There lies the challenge for us."

Brightwell said the bond between coach and paddle was about total loyalty and trust.

“She trusts me as I trust her, her abilities and qualities. But I have to constantly earn that trust.

“It’s about me, the coach, being a good listener, to understand what she requires. I am her watchdog to win.”