Hawke’s Bay girl Faith Minhinnick dances to gold, inspiring with ADHD and Tourette syndrome journey

If 10-year-old Napier girl Faith Minhinnick could describe herself in one word it would be athletic. Given a second word, it would be funny.

What she doesn’t define herself by is her ADHD and complex Tourette Syndrome, diagnosed when she was 6 years old.

Minhinnick has the hip-hop world in her hands, dancing her way to a gold medal in the kids’ division with her team at the International World Hip Hop competition in Sydney, Australia in October.

Faith Minhinnick has danced since the age of 5. Photo / Michaela Gower

Dancing since the age of 5, she said her hip hop crew and friends at the Hastings Rezpect Dance Academy was her favourite part.

“It’s fun and entertaining.”

Minhinnick proudly displayed her gold medal and said she enjoyed being on stage and performing in front of big crowds.

She said dancing “kind of” helped her with her Tourette tics and outbursts.

Parents Rana and Michael Minhinnick said dancing was more than just fun for Faith.

It gave her an outlet to express herself and helped her learn to manage her tics.

“You can’t tell over the music and performing that she is ticking,” Michael Minhinnick said.

Michael Minhinnick (from left) with daughter Faith Minhinnick and wife Rana Minhinnick. Photo / Michaela Gower

He said rather than making life difficult, he viewed it as keeping life interesting and busy.

“Don’t hide your kids away, put them on a pedestal.”

Rana Minhinnick said Tourette Syndrome was a byproduct of Faith’s ADHD, stimulated by nerves, but despite it, she was very social and “loved to put herself out there”.

“It started with the blinking of the eyes, so it was only motor, but then vocal outbursts, and noises started coming.”

She said there was never a dull moment with her daughter and together as a family, they were on a journey of learning.

“She has gone to school and told her class, this is what I have and this is what it is and they are so amazing – no one treats her differently.”

The family has started an advocacy group, but are yet to launch it, after they originally planned to do so in February 2023 when Cyclone Gabrielle struck and ruined their plans for a quiz night.

Their group – “Pretty but Ruthless” for the girls and “Handsome but Ruthless” for the boys – is for now printed on T-shirts.

Michael Minhinnick said they got the idea for it from Faith.

“It stuck from some ladies ... that said the girls were too pretty to be riding dirt bikes, and Faith was like ‘but I’m ruthless‘.”

Rana said the message they wanted to share was to be your authentic self, a value they instilled in their children.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.