EARLY MORNING TRAINING: Izzy Devitt (left), Corrie Whitehead, Matai Te Kere, Te Ru Huriwai and Berend Quirke of the Aotearoa Premier Men's Waka Ama crew on Whanganui River yesterday. Photo/Lewis Gardner
EARLY MORNING TRAINING: Izzy Devitt (left), Corrie Whitehead, Matai Te Kere, Te Ru Huriwai and Berend Quirke of the Aotearoa Premier Men's Waka Ama crew on Whanganui River yesterday. Photo/Lewis Gardner
For almost all of them it will be their first international competition, but the waka ama crew practising in the early hours on Whanganui River want to be the best rookies competing in Rio de Janeiro next month.
The Aotearoa Premier Men's crew is coached by Wanganui's Charmaine Matiaha andconsists of Wanganui's Berend Quirke along with six team mates from Wellington and Napier.
They will be competing alongside 100 other Kiwis along with paddlers from 22 countries at the International Va'a Federation (IVF) World Sprint Championships. Another Wanganui exponent, Tahi Nepia, will be with the Senior Masters team.
Matiaha said the number of entries will not be as high as the world championships two years ago.
"There's not as many as Rio has been deemed to be too dangerous. Last time I took two Under-16 teams, but not this time." The experienced coach has been working with the Premier crew for the last three months, while they have been preparing since February.
