Off on right foot

Talented teenage athlete Zoe Hobbs has been selected for the Sport New Zealand programme Pathway to Podium in its inaugural year t in Taranaki.

Pathway to Podium was created by Sport New Zealand and High Performance Sport New Zealand to help more Kiwi athletes to win on the world's sporting stage.

This year 161 athletes have been selected by national sporting organisations to be part of the programme.

Zoe says as this is the first year the programme is in Taranaki she wasn't aware she was being considered for it. "It was definitely an exciting surprise to be selected."

Zoe says the programme is based on each athlete setting goals and requirements that they want to work towards.

"Our regional centres aid us and give us what we may need to achieve these goals." For example, if she decided to work on strength and conditioning, "I could get funding through the programme to attend gym sessions".

Zoe and the other athletes will also attend seminars throughout the year on things such as nutrition and mental skills, "which also improve our base knowledge as athletes".

Every time an athlete achieves their goal they are to replace it with a new one. "We are required to meet standards within the year to stay in the programme."