NZ selection perfect tonic for Meade

LAID LOW: Whanganui waterskier Lily Meade is bedridden by glandular fever, but has gained selection to the New Zealand team to compete at the World Junior Water Skiing Championships in Chile in January.PHOTO/FILE

Whanganui waterskier Lily Meade is feeling a tad glum after being diagnosed with glandular fever, but received news late last week to cheer her up.

The 15-year-old has been named in the six-person New Zealand team to compete at the Under-17 Junior World Water-Skiing Championships in Santiago, Chile early next year.

Simon Meade said his daughter was the only skier from the central region to gain selection and that in itself was a major achievement.

Meade made it another national junior title while competing strongly in the older open women's division at the NZ Water Ski Nationals in Dunsandel just last month where she won all three disciplines, trick, slalom and jump, to claim the overall title.

Meade finished second overall in the under-17 girls division in the international series against Australia at Lake Karapiro's Piarere Club in February and has competed at world juniors in Peru.

"She was chuffed to gain selection, but she's not feeling the best at the moment. She's in bed trying to recover after being diagnosed with glandular fever and the news went some way to cheering her up," Simon Meade said yesterday.

"To be selected was great and to be the only one from the central region says a lot too. Funny enough the South Island contingent named include two sets of twins - that's got to be rare," he said.

The Zealand team to compete at the World Junior Water Skiing Championships in Chile starting January 4 are:

George Donaldson, Hugh Donaldson, Cody Gibson, Taine Gibson, Lily Meade and Courtney Williams. Reserves: Meg Harraway and Will Gibson.