George Fisher and Amelia Twiss with MP Tom Rutherford and Youth MP Tanvi Upreti (centre back) presenting the petition on the steps of Parliament, joined by other Youth MPs.
George Fisher and Amelia Twiss with MP Tom Rutherford and Youth MP Tanvi Upreti (centre back) presenting the petition on the steps of Parliament, joined by other Youth MPs.
Two home-schooled students cycled 755km off-road over 10 days to deliver a petition to Parliament calling for the inclusion of all students in sport.
Amelia Twiss, 13, from Tauranga, and George Fisher, 12, of Taupō, decided to take action after they were denied medals at theNorth Island Schools MTB Championships because they are home-schooled.
Amelia hoped sport would become “student sport, not school sport”.
“Sport shouldn’t be based on what school you go to; it should be based on the students and shouldn’t rely on how you receive your education,” she said.
The idea started as a joke that became a reality, and was now an accomplished goal yet to sink in, said Amelia.
The pair started on June 22 and completed the ride on July 1.
They were met on Parliament’s steps by Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford, Youth Minister James Meager, Wairarapa MP Mike Butterick and several other sitting MPs and Youth MPs.
Amelia said it had felt surreal when she rode up to Parliament.
“There were people, lots of people, standing there, and they were there for us, clapping and cheering, but it still hasn’t really sunk in.
“We were sort of like zombies pedalling along by the end, not thinking about where we were going.”
The pair, who were supported by their families throughout the ride, had more than 50 people at their Cambridge send-off and were met by extra supporters along the way.
Amelia on day four of the ride, when she and George cycled 76km from Taumarunui to Tongariro National Park.
“I think the hardest part was thinking you were finished for the day and then having another 15km to go,” Amelia said.
The pair’s longest cycle was 127km from Pahiatua in Manawatū-Whanganui to Martinborough in the South Wairarapa.
George said day eight was his favourite experience on the ride. Darkness was falling and they were both tired when they neared their planned stop 10km out of Martinborough.
But then they met some “dot watchers” – supporters tracking their progress via GPS -who encouraged them to continue to the Wairarapa town.
“So we rode in with them, finished at the square, and we had soft drinks, Tim Tams and chocolate.”
He said it felt awesome to have pushed through so much, and now he wants to do more multi-day rides.
“Having a nice 10km cruise into Wellington and riding towards the steps of Parliament as the clocks rang 8am was really cool.”
Amelia’s mother, Toni Twiss, was incredibly proud to see the students doing what they loved.
“Even though it wasn’t perfect conditions, it was hard, they had a goal to achieve, and it was inspiring to watch them do it.”
Amelia and George on day eight of their cycle at the Te Ahu a Turanga Manawatu Highway cycleway.
Twiss was proud that her daughter’s ride had raised awareness about the rules and had been successful at getting the attention of those who could make a difference.
“We were blown away that so many other people could see the issue with the situation and were willing to stand up and be seen to be supporting it.”
Bay of Plenty Youth MP Tanvi Upreti, 16, helped hand over the petition, which had more than 3400 signatures. She said it was empowering.
“I was standing on the steps of Parliament helping a petition that represented hundreds of voices, not just names on paper, but real students who just want to be included.”
She said sport was meant to bring people together.
“Home-schooled students aren’t asking for special treatment, just equal access to the same opportunities.
“It shouldn’t be controversial to include people; that should be the norm, and we have a chance to make things better.”
Cycling legs
June 22 – Cambridge to Arapuni (39.5km)
June 23 – Arapuni to the start of the Timber Trail (67.2km)
July 1 – Lower Hutt to Parliament, Wellington (24km).
Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.
