The 16-year-old world junior waka ama champion will be in elite company when she attends the Māori Sports Awards in Mount Maunganui on Saturday.
An all-female group of Olympic gold medallists will vie for the supreme title – the Albie Pryor Memorial Māori Sports Person of the Year.
The finalists are Carrington (Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Ngāti Porou), Ellesse Andrews (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe), canoe sprint gold medallist Olivia Brett (Ngā Puhi) and members of the Black Ferns sevens team.
For Brooking (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), being part of the Māori Sports Awards is a highlight of her year.
“It feels surreal to be able to attend and sit in the same room as them because they are Olympians who have competed on the biggest stage in the world,” the Gisborne Girls’ High student and Horouta Waka Hoe club member said.
“I know I will be a little bit shy because they are my heroes. I would love to have a conversation with them and to get any advice would be huge. I would love to go to the Olympics.
“Lisa would be top of my list and I’m a huge fan of Portia as well ... it is giving me goosebumps just thinking about it.”
Brooking may be having a huge fangirl moment, but she has earned her place at the table.
The Gisborne born-and-raised athlete is the double world junior champion in individual waka ama events. She is the world junior 16 women’s sprint champion and long-distance champion.
Brooking said it meant a huge amount to be nominated as Junior Māori Sportswoman of the Year for the second time in a row.
“It feels cool because I’m just a young girl from a little town in New Zealand and being able to represent my whānau and Gisborne means a lot to me.
“Being from the East Coast is a huge part of who I am. With this success my hope is to inspire my whānau and other rangatahi from our region because if I can achieve it on the world stage, then they can, too.
“Representing Horouta Waka Hoe both nationally and internationally has helped to get me to where I am.”
Three Gisborne people are in the various categories at the awards: Amber Church (Te Aitanga a Māhaki) – hockey, Māori Sports Umpire/Referee of the Year; Catherine Mullooly (Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Kahungunu) – shearing, Individual World Champion; and Brooking - waka ama, Junior Sportswoman of the Year and Individual World Champion.
Her coach, Sieda Tureia, who mentors the NZ Waka Ama Elite women’s team, says Brooking is a huge talent.
“Hine is one of those exceptional rangatahi that is so determined to achieve her goals. She is unafraid to dream big and has the plans and work ethic to match.
“Hine works exceptionally hard, training multiple times a day, six days a week. Part of her success is her ability to critique her performance, take on feedback and pinpoint areas for development.”
Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa Charitable Trust executive director Richard (Dick) Garratt MNZM (Ngāi Tuhoe) said several hundred nominations were received with a record number of Māori athletes achieving on the world stage over the past 12 months.
It is testament to the vision of the event’s founder, the late Albie Pryor.
In 1991, Pryor (Ngāti Awa) established the black tie event to promote and encourage Māori in the pursuit of sporting excellence. He later expanded that brief to identify and support young Māori talent so they could achieve at Olympic, Commonwealth and international competitions.
“We’re staggered by the quality of the nominations which is an indication of the incredible impact Māori sportspeople have had in the international arena,” Garratt said.
“It’s also encouraging to see entries from a number of lesser-known sports, and from other sports where Māori have not previously succeeded. This will make the final selections a difficult one.”
For 20 years, ACC has been a partner of the Māori Sports Awards.
Andy Milne, ACC’s deputy chief executive of strategy, engagement and prevention, says it’s an honour to celebrate Māori achievement in sport.
“Māori athletes provide a huge and valuable contribution to our sporting nation. They are positive role models for our rangatahi, tamariki and mokopuna to get active and become involved in sport.
“Events like the Māori Sports Awards help us to raise awareness and build understanding around ACC services that improve access and health outcomes for Māori.”
34th Trillian Trust Māori Sports Awards
When: Saturday
Where: Mercury Arena, Mt Maunganui
For more information go to www.maorisportsawards.co.nz
- Story supplied by ACC
