Junior Armstrong leaves Sport Hawke's Bay for higher honours

Junior Armstrong has picked up a new role with Sport NZ. Photo / Supplied

Sporting trail-blazer Junior Armstrong is leaving Sport Hawke's Bay to take up a key role at Sport New Zealand.

But he's not leaving his home province, where he'll remain as a local delivery consultant tasked with providing leadership, influence and support to the regional sport trust network as well as national sport organisations.

"I'm incredibly excited about the new role, which keeps me in the Bay and enables me to continue to make a positive difference to the health and wellbeing of our community, especially with tamariki (children 5-11), and rangatahi (young people 12-18)," he said.

"I've been fortunate to have some amazing opportunities with Sport Hawke's Bay culminating in my last role as general manager for Sport and Physical Activity.

"It has been a great experience to work alongside some leading administrators in sport and health from Hawke's Bay over the past 10 years and I now feel that the time is right to take on similar challenges and projects at a national level."

Sport Hawke's Bay chief executive Mark Aspden said it's "fantastic to see a local rise through the ranks from being a student at EIT Hawke's Bay through the his first role at Sport Hawke's Bay as an Active Living Advisor for Flaxmere in the Health team".

"Junior has also been our WorkFit Co-ordinator, Regional Sports Director, Education Team Leader and finally General Manager Sport and Physical Activity.

"Junior is proof that if you stick at it there is great pathway for rangatahi from Hawke's Bay through the play, active recreation, sport and health sector."

Armstrong, a former St John's College student, said his highlights were supporting youth, schools [sports coordinators and principals], clubs, sports organisations, and communities to work towards aspirations important to them.

"Reshaping the HB secondary schools' sports awards and delivering the event three times recognising the outstanding achievements and service in secondary schools sport and being selected to complete the relaunched Sport NZ Future Leaders leadership programme in 2018 are also fond memories."