Hazel Vanessa Ouwehand is one of many Olympic debutants with connections to the Waikato region. Photo / Simon Watts, BWMedia.co.nz
The New Zealand Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics teams have plenty of members with connections to the Waikato region.
Many originated from here, some moved here to study or to better their training, while others have family roots in the province.
Several local athletes feature in the All Blacks and Black Ferns Sevens squads, plus there are rowers and cyclists galore.
The Waipā District alone has more than 40 athletes that live and train there.
Waipā residents were recently called on to celebrate and get behind the athletes by videoing their messages of support.
A Waipā Home of Champions good luck video will be created for the Olympians and Paralympians heading to Paris.
“There is something special about the Olympic Games and this year even more so given the number of Waipā athletes competing. We really want to show how proud we are of their efforts,” Mayor Susan O’Regan said.
The business community was also being asked to soak up the spirit of the games and show their support by decorating their shop and office spaces.
“We want to create something special around the Games, to foster support and community pride. Bringing people together strengthens our sense of unity, and together we can show our support for these athletes from halfway around the world,” O’Regan said.
“Our locally trained athletes are representing not just New Zealand but also our district. It’s a massive accomplishment worth recognising and celebrating.”
The council has partnered with the Grassroots Trust Velodrome to create Waipā's official fan zone.
The Waipā Fan Festival event will take place on August 4 from 9am to 12pm at Grassroots Trust Velodrome, Cambridge.
Supporters can test their speed against local athlete times and book a session on the track.
“There will be fun activities for the whole family, food trucks and Velodrome tours,” O’Regan said.
“There will also be guest appearances from previous Olympic medallists as well as some Paralympians before they head off for the Paralympics in August.”
Ellesse Andrews – New Zealand Olympian: 1389
EVENTS: Cycling-Track: Women’s Team Sprint, Individual Sprint, Keirin
The Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club alumna attended St Peter’s School Cambridge for the final two years of secondary school and has also studied at the University of Waikato.
Bryony Botha – New Zealand Olympian: 1396
EVENTS: Cycling-Track: Women’s Team Pursuit, Madison, Omnium
Botha is a Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club and University of Waikato alumna.
Max Brown – New Zealand Olympian: 1398
EVENTS: Canoe Sprint - Men’s K4 and C2 500m
Brown moved to Cambridge in January 2018 when Canoe Racing New Zealand shifted its training base from Auckland to Lake Karāpiro. He also studied at the University of Waikato.
Dame Lisa Carrington – New Zealand Olympian: 1131
EVENTS: Women’s K4 500m, K2 500m, K1 200, K1 500
Although the Olympic champion was born in the Bay of Plenty, she has strong family connections in the Te Awamutu area.
Her grandparents, Doreen and the late Maurice Carrington, lived at Waikeria and Te Awamutu for many years, as did their children, Patrick, Chris, Nigel, Amelia and Tina, who were all born in Gisborne and educated here.
Lisa’s father Patrick played rugby for the Te Awamutu College first XV rugby team for three years from 1973-1975.
Dylan “DJ” Collier – New Zealand Olympian: 1410
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Men (captain)
Collier has played plenty of rugby for Ōtorohanga Sports Club and represented Waikato Rugby on 15 occasions from 2013-2015.
He was a member of the Warriors Under 20 side before picking up sevens in 2014 and was part of the National Sevens’ winning Waikato team in 2015.
Tepaea Cook-Savage – Olympic debut
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Men
Cook-Savage attended St Paul’s Collegiate School and captained their 2019 first XV.
The 23-year-old has represented Waikato Rugby 24 times (2021-2023).
Sam Dakin – New Zealand Olympian: 1412
EVENTS: Cycling-Track: Men’s Keirin, Individual Sprint
Dakin trains out of the Avantidrome in Cambridge as a part of the New Zealand High-Performance Squad.
He also studied for a Bachelor of Business Analysis with a major in finance at the University of Waikato.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham – Olympic debut
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Women
Attended Hamilton Girls’ High School and is the daughter of legendary former Hamilton Boys’ High School 1st XV coach Nigel Hotham.
Has been involved with Waikato Sevens and local club sevens competitions.
Brooke Francis – New Zealand Olympian: 1419
EVENT: Women’s Double Sculls
Cambridge-based Francis (nee Donoghue), rowed for both Te Kauwhata College and the Mercer Rowing Club before changing to the Waikato Rowing Club. She joined the Waikato Rowing Performance Centre for the 2013/14 summer season.
Camille French – New Zealand Olympian: 1403
EVENTS: Athletics: Women’s 5000m and 10,000m
Hamilton-based French (nee Buscomb) attended St Peter’s School Cambridge. She transferred her studies from Purdue University in Indiana to the University of Waikato in 2015 after being offered a Hillary Scholarship.
Sam Gaze – New Zealand Olympian: 1274
EVENT: Cycling – Men’s Mountain Bike Cross Country
Cambridge’s Gaze is an alumnus of both Hamilton Boys’ High School and Cambridge High School. He has been associated with Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club.
EVENT: Women’s Pair
Waikato Rowing Club alumna.
Clarke Johnstone – New Zealand Olympian: 1287
EVENT: Equestrian - Eventing Team: Individual Eventing
Johnstone is based at Matangi near Hamilton.
EVENT: Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls
Cambridge-based rower Kiddle is also a University of Waikato alumna.
Robbie Manson – New Zealand Olympian: 1174
EVENT: Men’s Double Sculls
Manson has a Waikato Rowing Club membership and will team up with Jordan Parry at Paris 2024.
Sammie Maxwell – Olympic debut
EVENT: Cycling – Women’s Mountain Bike Cross Country
Hailing from Taupō and based in Wellington, Maxwell’s career took off after her victory in the under-23 category at the UCI MTB World Championships in 2023, making her the first New Zealand female to claim the title.
Ngarohi McGarvey-Black – Olympic debut
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Men
McGarvey-Black represented Waikato Under 21 in 2016 out of the Morrinsville Sports Rugby Club.
Tim Mikkelson – New Zealand Olympian: 1318
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Men (Travelling Reserve)
The former Matamata College student and All Blacks Sevens legend previously played rugby for Hinuera, the University of Waikato, Waikato and the Chiefs.
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Women
Nuku is a former Hamilton Girls’ High School student and also represented Waikato in the 2020 Farah Palmer Cup.
Hazel Vanessa Ouwehand – Olympic debut
EVENT: Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Now Auckland-based, the former Te Pahū Primary School and Te Awamutu College student swam for the Te Awamutu Swimming Club from ages 6 to 17.
Jordan Parry – New Zealand Olympian: 1473
EVENT: Men’s Double Sculls
Cambridge-based Parry joined Waikato Rowing Performance Centre for the 2014/15 summer and will team up with Robbie Manson at Paris 2024.
EVENT: Athletics: Women’s Javelin
Cambridge-based Peeters works part-time at St Peter’s School Cambridge.
Rebecca Petch – New Zealand Olympian: 1475
EVENTS: Cycling-Track: Women’s Team Sprint, Individual Sprint, Keirin
The Te Awamutu College, Te Awamutu BMX and Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club alumna will head to her second Olympics in her second sport after attending Tokyo 2020 for BMX.
Dylan Schmidt – New Zealand Olympian: 1346
EVENT: Gymnastics – Trampoline: Individual Men
Schmidt moved to Waihī as a 6-year-old and was the first New Zealander to be selected in the trampoline event at an Olympic Games, at Rio 2016.
EVENT: Women’s Pair
Waikato-based Sherman is associated with the Waikato Rowing Club and will compete alongside Kate Haines at Paris 2024.
Lucy Spoors – New Zealand Olympian: 1495
EVENT: Women’s Double Sculls
Cambridge-based Spoors will represent New Zealand in the women’s double sculls at Paris 2024 with Brooke Francis.
Billy Stairmand – New Zealand Olympian: 1497
EVENT: Surfing, Individual Men
Stairmand was born and raised in Raglan and began competing over 20 years ago.
Corbin Strong – New Zealand Olympian: 1502
EVENT: Cycling-Road: Men’s Road Race
Southlanders Strong was the junior world champion in the team pursuit in 2018, before joining the Cycling New Zealand High-Performance programme in Cambridge.
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Women (Travelling Reserve)
The former Hamilton Girls’ High School student has also represented Hamilton Old Boys Huskiez, Waikato, Chiefs Manawa and the Black Ferns.
Emma Twigg – New Zealand Olympian: 1097
EVENT: Women’s Single Scull
Based in Cambridge and coached by Mike Rodger, Olympic Gold medallist Twigg will compete in her fifth Olympic campaign.
EVENT: Men’s Four
Australian Ullrich moved to New Zealand in 2020. He rowed for the Waikato High-Performance Rowing Squad for the 2020/21 Rowing season.
Nicole van der Kaay – New Zealand Olympian: 1508
EVENTS: Triathlon – Women’s Individual, Mixed Team Relay
Taupō athlete Nicole van der Kaay has plenty of experience under her belt.
Stacey Waaka – New Zealand Olympian: 1426
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Women
Stacey Waaka is well known in rugby circles having represented University, Melville, Waikato, Chiefs Manawa the Black Ferns and Black Ferns Sevens. She is also a University of Waikato alumna.
EVENT: Cycling: Women’s BMX
The young Cambridge High School alumna has made waves in the BMX world.
Regan Ware – New Zealand Olympian: 1360
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Men
Tokoroa-born Ware attended Hamilton Boys’ High School and represented Waikato Rugby in 2014 and 2015 out of the Hamilton Old Boys club.
Joe Webber – New Zealand Olympian: 1361
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Men (Travelling Reserve)
Webber is also a Hamilton Boys’ High School alumnus from Tokoroa. He represented Waikato Rugby from 2012 to 2015 out of the Hamilton Marist club.
Hayden Wilde – New Zealand Olympian: 1513
EVENTS: Triathlon – Men’s Individual, Mixed Team Relay
Hayden Wilde was born in Taupō, in 1997.
Micah Wilkinson - New Zealand Olympian: 1514
EVENT: Sailing: Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17)
Former Cambridge High School student Wilkinson is also connected to Te Awamutu’s Ngāroto Sailing Club.
Ally Wollaston – Olympic debut
EVENTS: Cycling-Track: Women’s Team Pursuit, Madison, Omnium
Cambridge-based Wollaston was educated at St Peter’s School Cambridge and is also associated with the University of Waikato.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe - New Zealand Olympian: 1369
EVENT: Rugby Sevens – Women
Although from the far north, Black Ferns Sevens legend Woodman-Wickliffe spent time in the Waikato region with the Chiefs Manawa.
Nic Woods – New Zealand Olympian: 1370
EVENT: Men’s Hockey (captain)
Woods attended rural Ngāhinapōuri School before heading to Hamilton Boys’ High School.
Danielle Aitchison – New Zealand Paralympian: 211
EVENTS: Women’s 100m T36 and Women’s 200m T36
Hamilton-based Aitchison grew up in Patetonga, Hauraki District and attended Kaihere School. She is a member of Hamilton City Hawks Athletics.
Devon Briggs – Paralympic debut
EVENTS: Men’s C1-2-3 1km Time Trial, Men’s C3 Individual Pursuit, Road - Men’s C3 Time Trial and Men’s C1-2-3 Road Race.
A psychology student at the University of Waikato, Briggs hails from Cambridge.
Jesse Reynolds – New Zealand Paralympian: 205
EVENTS: Men’s 100m Backstroke S9, 100m Fly S10(S9), 100m Breaststroke SB8
Hamilton-based Reynolds will compete at his third Paralympic Games in Paris. He is associated with Hamilton Aquatics and Waikato Regional Performance Centre.
Anna Taylor – New Zealand Paralympian: 225
EVENTS: C4 Individual Pursuit and Road - Women’s C4 Time Trial.
Raised in Taupō, later boarding at St Peter’s School Cambridge, Taylor is still Cambridge-based.
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