From the Chief Executive
Kia ora tātou,
As the year draws to a close, it is an opportune time to reflect on 2023 and for a few thoughts about the year ahead.
From a performance perspective, 2023 has been a full-on year of world championships and Paris 2024 qualifying events and one in which New Zealand achieved plenty of success. Across the sports HPSNZ invests in we have seen a total of 17 World Championship wins this year and 44 additional podium finishes (19 Silver, 25 Bronze) at world championship events.
On top of that we’ve seen many athletes and teams qualify for Paris. While much of that success has come in sports New Zealand is traditionally strong in, from an HPSNZ point of view we’ve also seen success in sports we are partnering with for the first time, such as Motocross where Courtney Duncan won a fourth world championship and Speed Climbing where Julian David and Sarah Tetzlaff became the first Kiwis to qualify for the Olympics in that sport.
These performances are a credit to the athletes, coaches, support staff and all others involved and are the results of what has been described as New Zealand high performance sport’s ‘secret sauce’ — the connection within our HP system and the ability to collaborate across our sector.
We’ve also seen unprecedented engagement in women’s sport this year, thanks in no small part to the hosting of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The tournament had the highest impact on sports coverage since Sport NZ’s Media and Gender Study began, with coverage of women’s sport accounting for 45.5% of all sport news coverage during the tournament period.
From an HPNZ point of view, 2023 has seen us working in partnership with sports to progress opportunities for women leaders and coaches in HP sport through our revamped Residency Experience programme. Applications are now open for next year’s intake.
We’ve also collaborated with NSOs, athletes and athlete representative groups to progress wellbeing in HP environments. Plus we’ve developed a suite of resources which recently went live on the HPSNZ website. They are designed to support NSOs on their journey to enriching performance environments.
Looking ahead to Paris 2024, the year shapes as a particularly promising one for our Paralympians, including Danielle Aitchison whose story features in this edition. We also feature some candid reflections, insights and advice for our Paris 2024 athletes from one of New Zealand’s Paralympic greats and HPSNZ Deputy Chair Duane Kale.
A massive thank you for all your support and mahi in 2023. We wish all of you a happy, safe and relaxing summer break with friends and whānau and we look forward to working with you in 2024.
Meri Kirihimete me te Hape Nū Ia! – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Ngā mihi
Raelene
Olympic and Paralympic Perspectives: Duane Kale
Our third featured former HPSNZ Olympian or Paralympian, Duane Kale ONZM, has an extremely impressive CV – multiple medal winner in Para swimming at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games, Paralympics New Zealand Team Manager for Sydney 2000, Chef de Mission for Beijing 2008 and London 2012, Vice President of the International Paralympics Committee, a member of the IOC 2024 Evaluation Commission, Paralympics New Zealand board member, deputy chair of Sport NZ and HPSNZ.
As a multiple medal winner in Atlanta, Duane’s four golds, a silver and a bronze remain the most successful medal haul of any Kiwi Paralympian to date at a single Paralympics.
He shares his reflections and insights from a long and ongoing career contributing to Para and high performance sport in New Zealand and globally.
Danielle Aitchison building confidence ahead of Paralympics 2024
Talk to members of the HPSNZ support team behind world champion Para athlete Danielle Aitchison and confidence is the first word they use.
At just 22, Danielle is taking charge of her campaign support team as she eyes up the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games following her breakthrough gold medal performance at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.
Her performance in Paris was stunning. Not just winning gold in the T36 200m but decimating the field on her way to victory and smashing her own Oceania record, followed by a World Championship record equalling performance in the 100m heats.
While Danielle’s team talk about her growing confidence, speak with Danielle and she attributes the breakthrough to the dramatic changes made to her running technique by coach Alan McDonald and HPSNZ Strength & Conditioning coach George Wardell over a six month period leading up to the World Championships.
New HPSNZ Wellbeing resources live
The updated HPSNZ Wellbeing webpages are now live and loaded with new resources to help sports.
The pages provide access to the suite of HPSNZ materials designed to support wellbeing systems and structures in the high performance environment.
They include three primary sections:
- HPSNZ Wellbeing Framework and Guidelines
- HPSNZ Wellbeing Measurement and Guidance
- HPSNZ Wellbeing Investment
These materials have been produced following wide consultation and reflect alignment with HPSNZ’s wellbeing core principles of transparency, inclusion and continuous growth. A key part of the process has been collaboration with the Sport NZ Group’s Kāhui Rautaki Māori team to ensure the Framework and Guidelines, along with other related materials, reflect what wellbeing means in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“As we continue to incorporate the input of our partners, stakeholders and affiliates we will update and develop further materials,” says Toni Minniti, HPSNZ Wellbeing and Engagement Lead.
If you have any questions please contact Toni: toni.minniti@hpsnz.org.nz.
Women in High Performance Sport Residency Applications Open
Applications are open for the 2024 WHPS Residency Experience. Programme lead, Helene Wilson, says the Residency Experience provides an opportunity for women who are ready to progress their career in high performance leadership or coaching.
“We encourage applications from individual women who feel they have had the development required to lead into high performance sport,” says Helene.
2024 is the third year of the WHPS Residency Experience after it was revamped in 2023 to provide greater flexibility for various life stages of women.
The Residency Experience includes professional development alongside real-world HP employment opportunities in NSOs. The bespoke experience is designed for individuals’ growth and development needs for a sustainable career in high performance sport.
Hear how the Residency Pilot has made a difference for women in high performance sport and their NSOs.
Applications for individuals close on 31 January 2024 and on 16 February 2024 for NSOs.
Kia Manawanui takes to the waters of the Waitematā
The final Kia Manawanui Performance Coaching in Action residential course for 2024 saw participants take to the waters of Auckland’s Waitematā harbour under the guidance of Yaching NZ’s ILCA6 Olympic and Youth Programme coach, Jenny Armstrong.
Fortunately conditions were light as the other coaches joined host coach Jenny in her coach boat on the water to watch her put her four ILCA6 youth class girls and boys through a starting skills session.
Jenny says the morning started with a session in which she framed up the sport of sailing, from boats in the water to safety, how the sport works, how to win, how points are allocated and the finer aspects of competition which are obviously different from all the other sports.
“A real highlight was the debrief session after we’d been on the water,” says Jenny. “What was very insightful was the responses my athletes gave to the other coaches which was more than I often get from them.
“It was also interesting to see how my young sailors interacted with a diverse range of coaches not from their own sport.”
Prime Minister’s Scholarship interns announced
The third intake of Prime Minister’s Scholarship interns features a mix of athletes from Olympic, Paralympic and other sports.
PM’s Scholarship Internship Programme Lead, Hannah McLean, says there is a broad spread across sports among the 2024 intake. “Ten athletes from eight sports will take up internships in 2024 with the programme showing year on year growth in numbers since its inception in 2022.”
Hannah attributes the growth in numbers to increased awareness and interest from employer partners as well as from athletes.
Motocross World Champ eyeing up fifth world title
Courtney is a great example of campaign investment and support as part of HPSNZ’s 35-sport Aspirational Investment portfolio, introduced following Tokyo 2020, to include sports outside traditional Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games, says Performance Team Leader for Aspirational Sports, Paul Smith.
Motocross is considered to be a physically demanding form of motorcycle sport which tests both the rider and their 100kg-plus machine.
And to help Courtney prepare physically, her HPSNZ support team steps in.
