Sports heroes cheer on young athletes

Gisele Howard celebrates completing the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon with Olympian Valerie Adams. Photo / Ben Fraser

For Gisele Howard the best part about the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon was not crossing the finish line but getting to meet some of her favourite sports stars.

The 10-year-old was one of more than 700 children who took part in the event at Kuirau Park yesterday, cheered on by some of the country's greatest sportspeople.

Shotputter Valerie Adams, former Silver Fern Anna Harrison and local triathlete Olly Shaw presented medals to the finishers, while champion BMXer Sarah Walker and rower Hamish Bond also helped out.

The event was open to children aged from 7 to 15 and could be completed as an individual or in teams of two. The swim was held in the Aquatic Centre's outdoor 50-metre pool, and the bike and run sections were held in Kuirau Park and surrounding streets.

Gisele said she was thrilled to have met one of her sporting heroes, Valerie Adams.

"It was really cool. I think I'll go and tell all my friends about it now," she said.

"She's really nice."

While it was not the first time Gisele had taken part in the event, she said it got tiring and she was relieved when it was over.

"The swimming part was hard but I liked running to the finish line. When I finished, it was cool being cheered on and getting to meet her [Valerie Adams]."

Richard Cunliffe, 9, said he was blown away to be able to meet the sports stars and get their autographs.

Meeting Olympian Valerie Adams was especially mind blowing, he said.

He was proud he managed to finish the race.

"It was a tiring race, the swim was hard and my legs were wobbly. But I finished it."

Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing general manager Pierre van Heerden said the event was about building happy, healthy children and communities. "It's so important for kids to get active at a young age and it's great to be involved in an event which encourages them to do just this in a fun environment."