Kawerau out in force to welcome Sarah Walker home

Childhood secrets shared by family left champion BMXer Sarah Walker hiding her face from the hundreds who gathered in Kawerau to welcome her home on Saturday.

Arriving at the town's BMX track in a vintage convertible and in the company of her parents, Graham and Sue, younger brother Matt and partner, elite rower Ian Seymour, the Olympic BMX silver medallist was flanked by school children on BMX bikes as she made her way toward the crowd.

Former mayor Lyn Hartley draped a korowai (cloak) around Sarah's shoulders before joining with current Mayor Malcolm Campbell in walking her toward a makeshift stage.

Once there, a rousing welcome from a kapa haka representing most of the town's schools drew a cheer from the impressive crowd, all who had come out to catch a glimpse of Kawerau's golden girl.

Even though he was one of the last to speak, Sarah's father had the audience in stitches as he spoke of his young daughter's comfort blanket _ a blanket she dragged everywhere.

"And when the blanket got to the point it had to be washed, there Sarah was sitting under the clothesline still clutching a corner of material,'' Mr Walker said.

He told the crowd she had always been competitive and described sibling rivalry between  her and Matt as fierce.

"My wife and I made the most of every opportunity we had with the children but we also decided we would not molly-coddle them. When we were skiing, if the kids took a tumble we would ski off and, if they hadn't caught up in 10 minutes, we would go back and find them. That's the sort of upbringing she had _ terrible.''

Mr Walker heaped praise on the schools and teachers of Kawerau, saying his daughter's education had played a huge part in where she was today.

Emotion took over as he tried to describe the pride he and Sue felt at seeing their daughter on the Olympic podium.

Sarah's former principal, Stuart Cook from Kawerau South School, said Sarah was a quiet but ambitious student who gave 110 per cent to  everything she did.

Mr Campbell gifted Sarah a kete, one that had been awarded first place in the weaving section of the recent Woodskills Festival. He told her the kete was just the right size for a medal.

When she finally spoke, Sarah apologised for taking so long to come home.

"It is a huge honour seeing you all here and I've really been looking for ward to getting home. Sorry it's taken so long but I've been really busy.''

With her trademark smile firmly in place, she spoke of breaking down the morning before she raced in London and how it had cleared her head.

"I was thinking I could win a medal or I could lose one _ both are really scary scenarios. But I got that out of the way and then focused on the job at hand.''

She presented the town with a framed photograph of herself on the podium before thanking everybody for welcoming her home. "You are brilliant.''  And  the crowd murmured  "so are you''.