Waka ama: Mates pull in same direction

Bev Williams (left), Jana Johnson, Mairi Bristow, Linda Hill-Rennie, Maria Robin and Sue Wood dig deep at Lake Karapiro. Photo/Supplied

In life there comes a time when the individual comes first, especially when a good part of one's existence is devoted to others.

That's what a group of great-grandmothers and grandmothers from Heretaunga Ararau O Ngati Kahungunu Waka Ama Roopu has been doing for the past four years.

"For these ladies, it's about doing something for themselves after devoting their lives to raising their families," says club chairman Vanessa Wilson after six of them returned from the 25th ActivePost National Waka Ama Sprint Championship at Lake Karapiro last week.

"It's all about them and their camaraderie with their teammates," says Wilson of Bev Williams, Jana Johnson, Mairi Bristow, Linda Hill-Rennie, Maria Robin and Sue Wood who also have booked their flights to the World Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August

Williams got into the singles final of the golden masters (60-plus) paddlers and will also compete in that event at the world champs.

Three of the paddlers are 50-plus and the others 60-plus.

"They are in awe that they can represent New Zealand at their age," Wilson says of the group who have been paddling for only four years.

The group found cohesiveness at their club through word of mouth when one of them struck a rapport to help establish a core group.

"They have church group and work affiliations," she says of women who are administrators, accountants and child carers.

Fifty-four clubs of 2600 paddlers vied for national honours in myriad boat classes over 250m, 500m and 1500m distances.

Horouta Waka Hoe, from Gisborne, won the club points trophy for overall performances at the regatta. It accumulated 236 points ahead of second place Manukau Outrigger Canoe Club on 197 points in a year when teams from Fiji were invited to compete.

Clubs competed in one, six and 12-paddler teams in junior U16, junior U19, Open, master and senior master divisions.

Three others composite Bay squads from Heretaunga and Te Rau Oranga O Ngati Kahungunu clubs are off to Brazil.

They include the J19 women and men squads as well as the premier men.

Te rau chairman Moana Whenuaroa says her club's midget U11 boys' team, including a 16-year-old female steerer, Te Rina Tawhara, made the finals.

A W12 and J16 boys emulated that feat while an Open men's team got as as the semifinals.

Bay's Haeata Ocean Sports Inc won a bronze in the Open women grade while single paddler Manaia Canterbury clinched bronze.

Maraenui Rugby and Sport entered a team in the J16 girls' division for the first time.