Olympics: Karamu backing flying 'Fish'

Students and staff of Karamu High School display their support for Olympic Games kayaker and former student Aimee Fisher.

Check out the photo above ... it's a message of support from Karamu High School staff and students to Olympic Games kayaker Aimee Fisher.

Head of media studies at Fisher's former school, Tom Hunter, used a drone to take the photo on Monday and it was emailed via a video link to Fisher yesterday.

"It was the idea of our head of physical education, Greg Ross, and we all jumped on board. There's room for an L and a D to make Gold Fish if her crew wins gold on the weekend and we have to do it again. We don't want to make it Silver Fish because they are pests," teacher in charge of all sports at the school, Tom Blake, explained.

Hawke's Bay's 2016 Sportsperson of the Year, Fisher, 21, is a member of the Kiwi women's K4 500 crew which begins their campaign on Friday. In a reply to her school via Facebook yesterday, Fisher said she was overwhelmed with what she saw.

"I love this school. You have an absolutely incredible team there and I hope I do you proud. I am on my way for a time trial and I have never felt more ready."

Blake said Ross was Fisher's first canoe polo coach at Karamu and her last canoe polo coach, head of science Kevin Beaumont, is still at the school.

"Seventy per cent of the teachers who taught Aimee are still at school. For us, it just adds to the personal touch as we watch Aimee during the coming days," Blake said.

"Aimee has always been close to us. It's just like it was for us Havelock North and Hawke's Bay rugby fans when we watched Gillies Kaka playing for the All Black Sevens."

Karamu High School principal Michael Leitch said the gesture recognised the support Fisher had given not only his school but her other former schools, Mahora and Heretaunga Intermediate, since leaving. Fisher visited Karamu High School and spoke at a school assembly during a brief visit before leaving for Rio.

"Aimee is an example of what can be done from Hawke's Bay. She is proudly Karamu and a home town Olympian. We've got to recognise her and support her," Leitch said.

"Aimee always acknowledges her connection to her schools and is a role model. She is proof great things come from the provinces."

Fisher, Caitlin Ryan, Jaimee Lovett and Kayla Imrie will be the first New Zealand women's K4 team to compete at an Olympic Games. With a bronze in their last World Cup regatta in the Czech Republic in May they are capable of a top four finish.

With Kaka, rower Emma Twigg, cyclist Regan Gough and Black Sticks men's hockey player Shea McAleese all missing out on medals, Fisher is Hawke's Bay's last hope for a bit of bling.

Should that happen, it will be further recognition for the outstanding work done by her Hawke's Bay Kayaking Club coaches Pip Pearse and Ben Bennett before she moved to Auckland so she could train with her crew. When representing Fisher at the Hawke's Bay Sports Awards function in May, Pearse said fans shouldn't be surprised to see Fisher in a K1 once she is out of the K4.

Speaking to the function by video recording Fisher said she was a dreadful trainer initially and had to thank Pearse for her endless patience.

"Pip dragged me out to the Clive River and I wasn't keen at all. Pip put me in the front seat of a K4 with three others. I couldn't wait for the session to be over and I said to myself 'I'm never coming back'.

"Pip then put me in a boat of my own and I've enjoyed kayaking ever since."