‘Weary’ but proud Gisborne gran after silver success on cycling track

New Zealand women's pursuit team member Ally Wollaston, whose mother Gill is a Dalrymple from Gisborne. Photo / SW Pix/Photopsort

The silver success of the New Zealand women’s track cycling pursuit team brought golden pride to a Gisborne grandmother.

Alison Dalrymple burned the Olympic Games midnight oil this week as she watched every one of granddaughter Ally Wollaston’s races that culminated in a thrilling final against the United States yesterday morning.

“I’m very weary,” Alison told The Gisborne Herald after Hamilton’s Wollaston, Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman and Nicole Shields were beaten by six-tenths of a second.

Wollaston is the daughter of Gill Wollaston (nee Dalrymple) who attended Te Wharau School, Ilminster Intermediate and Gisborne Girls’ High School, and now lives in Hamilton with husband Brent.

Alison “set up a bed on the couch” to watch Wollaston, while other Gisborne whānau also followed it closely.

Naturally she has an avid interest in her grandchildren and while extremely proud of Wollaston’s achievements, was not surprised.

“I was really confident but you just don’t know,” Alison said, referring in particular to the American team, who the Kiwis had not faced before.

Was Gran nervous?

“No, not really, it’s out of my hands.”

The Dalrymple link is just one of many Gisborne has with Olympic Games athletes and team officials.

These range from sprint kayaker Alicia Hoskin, judoka Sydnee Andrews, sprint kayak team reserve Zach Ferkins and NZ women’s sevens team reserve Kelsey Teneti, all from Gisborne, to NZ team cultural adviser Sir Derek Lardelli to Gisborne hockey umpire Amber Church to NZ Olympics health team lead Dr Bruce Hamilton - a Campion College old boy.

There is even a connection with pole vaulter Eliza McCartney, whose father William was born and raised in Gisborne.