NZ rafting team do well in Indonesia

WILD WATER: The New Zealand team finished seventh in the under-23 division of the world rafting championships in West Java, Indonesia, last week. They are (from left): Tamati Robens, Ethan Unsworth, Roretana Kerr, Aritaku Robens, Brett Douglas and chief steerer Keaghan Hartshorne, who has East Coast links through his mother, Anita Hartshorne. International Rafting Federation picture

KEAGHAN Hartshorne had family support stretching all the way back to the East Coast as he contested the under-23 division of the world rafting championships in Indonesia last week.

Grandparents Terry and Vencie Hartshorne (nee Wawatai) were following Keaghan’s progress from Tikitiki, while his mother Anita Hartshorne and brothers Hunter, Brody and Carter kept tabs on him from Kawerau.

Keaghan, 18, was in the six-man New Zealand u23 rafting team who finished seventh in their division of the world champs in Indonesia, last week.

“Keaghan feels proud and privileged to represent New Zealand, his home town Kawerau, his family and his Ngati Porou tribe,” Vencie Hartshorne said.

Auckland-born Keaghan had just completed his last year at Tarawera High School in Kawerau and had applied to join the navy, but the application was put on hold while he pursued his world championship ambitions, his grandmother said.

His teammates were all from the Rotorua area and for the past four months Keaghan had travelled to train with them on the Kaituna River in Rotorua.

Terry and Vencie Hartshorne are looking forward to hearing from their grandson about his adventures in West Java.

“He comes home to Tikitiki whenever he can and loves coming back here,” Vencie Hartshorne said.

Keaghan had been rafting for three years.

“He got into it when the world rafting championships were shared between Rotorua and Kawerau in 2013,” Vencie Hartshorne said.

“Kawerau District Council got together a group of Tarawera High School boys who were keen on white-water kayaking and tried to get them interested in rafting. Under the guidance of the council, they did a lot of the work for the world champs.

“They fenced off a lot of areas, helped set up the courses, put up the competing countries’ flags and erected tents.

“Keaghan was the only one from that group who stayed in the sport. He went to the gym and kept his fitness up.

“He learned the skills from Frans Roozendaal, who’s very much into water sports like waka ama and rafting.”

Vencie Hartshorne said the rafting photo (above), from the International Rafting Federation, shows the New Zealand team during competition on Citarik River in Sukabumi, West Java.

She said Keaghan wore a white helmet because the black one supplied was too big, and it needed to fit snugly. The crew also wore wetsuits and lifejackets.