Two more on Pathway to Podium

SELECTED: Gisborne swimmers Olivia Corrin and Matt Scott are newcomers to the Sport New Zealand Pathway to Podium programme. Kayakers Quaid Thompson and Britney Ford have been chosen for their third year in a row. Picture by Liam Clayton

FOUR young sportspeople from the Gisborne region have been selected for the national Sport New Zealand Pathway to Podium programme, designed to support and encourage future sports stars.

Local teenagers Britney Ford, Olivia Corrin, Quaid Thompson and Matt Scott are among about 350 pre-elite athletes and 150 coaches who have been selected to take part.

The programme is not open to nominations. These athletes and coaches have been chosen by national sporting organisations, such as Swimming New Zealand.

Pathway to Podium is run in partnership by Sport New Zealand, High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), 14 HPSNZ targeted national sporting organisations and 14 regional talent hubs around the country, including local sports trust Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti.

Local swimmers Scott, 18, and Gisborne Girls’ High School student Corrin, 16, have been selected by Swimming New Zealand to take part in the programme for the first time.

Kayakers Thompson, 18, and Britney Ford, 18, have been selected by Canoe Racing New Zealand to take part for the third consecutive year.

Scott said he was “very happy” to be in the programme because it was a stepping stone to becoming a carded athlete.

As well as giving sport-specific training and support, the programme aims to teach resilience, self-reliance, confidence and discipline so that — regardless of their sporting future — participants leave the programme with valuable life skills.

Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti talent development lead Carl Newman said it was great to see local talent being recognised at national level.

“Pathway to Podium is a regionally based programme that aims to give athletes the support they need within their community,” he said.

“It means the athletes get to stay in Gisborne surrounded by the support of whanau and friends, while still getting access to high-performance services and opportunities.”

He said that making it easier for athletes to stay in the region was good not only for them, but also for the local sporting community because the athletes’ skills and knowledge would influence those around them.