Horouta crews in sync for training

TRAIN TOGETHER, CELEBRATE TOGETHER: The Horouta J16 and J19 crews, Baby Heli’s and Daddy Heli’s, get together after their silver- and gold-medal-winning performances in the Waka Ama New Zealand Long Distance Nationals in Hawke’s Bay this month. They are, back (from left): Mairangi Campbell, Darius Apanui-Nepe, Kapua Thornicroft, Ducati Walford, Keanu Wainohu-Kemp, Kayleb Te Whare, Anaru Paenga-Morgan, Tyrin Wyllie and Maia Fox. Front: Lyric Baty-Akurangi, Zane Abraham-Kingi and Manaakiao Maxwell. Picture supplied

HOROUTA Waka Hoe Club’s J19 and J16 six-man crews celebrated their success together after their races in the Waka Ama New Zealand Long Distance Nationals in Hawke’s Bay this month.

It was only fitting, as they trained together under the guidance of coaches Sharni Wainohu and Deon Kemp, with support from Kiwi Campbell. And they are still training together in preparation for the waka ama sprint nationals in January.

The J19 team, Daddy Heli’s (Darius Apanui-Nepe, Ducati Walford, Keanu Wainohu-Kemp, Tyrin Wyllie, Maia Fox and Zane Abraham-Kingi), won the W6 16-kilometre race for their age group in 1 hour 20 minutes 10 seconds.

The J16 team, Baby Heli’s (Mairangi Campbell, Kayleb Te Whare, Kapua Thornicroft, Anaru Paenga-Morgan, Lyric Baty-Akurangi and Manaakiao Maxwell), were second in the W6 16km race for their age group in 1:27:55.

“They train every day except Friday, and even then a lot of them go for a paddle,” the mother of one team member said.

“As well as their work on the water, Sharni and Deon have them doing hill sprints and 10km runs, climbing the Kaiti Hill steps, swimming, and in their spare time doing mobility and strengthening exercises.”

The boys are looking to the national sprints and beyond, to qualification for the world sprint championships in Tahiti in July next year. Members of the J19 crew are also in trials for the New Zealand elite under-19 team for Tahiti.

Horouta topped the medal count at the long-distance nationals.

Individual gold medals were won by Rod Hibbert in the golden master men’s 16km ruddered, in a time of 1:46:31 (another Gisborne paddler, Brian Wilson, racing for Taniwha, was second in 1:48:04); and Cory Campbell in the J19 women’s 10km rudderless, in 1:11:26.

An individual silver medal went to Grant Donaldson in the master men’s 16km rudderless (1:32:32). Individual bronze medals went to Keanu Wainohu-Kemp in the J16 men’s 10km rudderless (1:01:56), Zane King Abraham in the J19 men’s 10km rudderless (1:01:29) and Keri Ngatoro in the J16 women’s 10km rudderless (1:19:07).

In the six-place races, gold medals went to the J19 men’s team; Hinetoa, in the J19 women’s 16km (Moelani Tureia-Siataga, Tia Akurangi, Maia Niwa-Apelu, Jhaymean Terekia, Jessica Terekia and Keri Ngatoro) in 1:33:35; and Ikahoea, in the senior master mixed 28km (Violet Tuapawa Crawford, Gordon Aston, Dene Moleta, Mihi Aston, Kerry Johnston and Phillip Ratapu) in 2:23:23.

Silver medals went to the J16 men’s team; Puhi Kaiariki, in the J16 women’s 16km (Kiara Hailey, Ariata Kutia, Kelsey Teneti, Materoa Rewiri, Fushia Tibble and Kat Niblett) in 1:38:27; and Kaiarahi Toa, in the open women’s 28km (Kiwi Campbell, Sieda Tureia, Ranelle Nikora, Cory Campbell, Kodi Campbell and Florrie Brooking) in 2:26:55.

A bronze medal went to Paikea, in the master men’s 28km (Jay Love, David Apelu, Paora Anderson, Grant Donaldson, Basil Morgan and Miha Crawford) in 2:09:03.