December update

Kia kaha, Kia māia, Kia manawanui

Sport is the pathway, but life is the journey.

Kia ora te whānau

As we wrap up 2024, we're taking a moment to celebrate the incredible mahi of our Tātai Whetū athletes and the supportive community that surrounds them.

Our programme has grown to support 38 rangatahi across Canterbury, with 25 wahine and 13 tāne competing in 25 different sports. But more than the numbers, we're proud of how our athletes have developed as people, showing leadership in their whānau and communities.

This year, we've put wellbeing at the heart of everything we do. Our mental skills and nutrition programmes have given athletes tools they can use both in sport and daily life. A highlight has been welcoming Ilia Lindsay as our Psychology lead, who's helped make TWW a place where athletes feel safe to be themselves and tackle challenges head-on.

The strength of our programme comes from working together. Our expert providers have brought their skills and passion to support our athletes. To our sponsors and funders - your backing makes all of this possible, and we're grateful for your ongoing support.

Looking ahead to 2025, we're excited to build on what we've learned. We're developing a dedicated female health programme, strengthening our ties with UC and Lincoln University, and creating better career and education pathways for our athletes. We're also bringing in a new app to make communication smoother and information more accessible.

To all our rangatahi - it's been a privilege to support you this year. We can't wait to come back in 2025 with even more tools to help you navigate both sport and life.

Ngā mihi nui,

Ged, Tayla, Jo, and Poppie

Mental Skills Kaupapa

At Tātai Whetū Waitaha, we know that being a young athlete, mental health is just as important as physical when it comes togrowing as a whole person. That's why we're thrilled to have Ilia Lindsay leading our psychology and mental skills framework.

As a registered psychologist specialising in both child and family psychology and sport performance, Ilia brings a wealth of experience working with young people. She's supported athletes at all levels, from local clubs through to Olympians and Commonwealth Games representatives, understanding the unique pressures that come with competitive sport.

"We want TWW to be a place where our rangatahi feel safe to be themselves," says Ilia. "Whether they're dealing with competition nerves, balancing school and training, or working through bigger challenges, we're here to support them."

Ilia's approach looks at the whole picture of our athletes' lives. She works alongside our athlete leads and mental skills coaches, helping create an environment where mental wellbeing is given the same priority as physical performance. This means our athletes get support that's tailored to their individual needs, drawing on proven approaches like mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy, and solution-focused techniques.

For our rangatahi, having this support means they can better handle the ups and downs of competitive sport while developing skills that help them thrive in all areas of life. It's about building resilience, understanding themselves better, and knowing they've got support when they need it.

This holistic approach to athlete development is core to who we are at TWW. We're committed to nurturing not just successful athletes, but confident young people who can lead in their whānau and communities.

Looking Ahead: Building on Success for 2025

After a successful 2024, Tātai Whetū Waitaha is gearing up to expand our support for Canterbury's young athletes. Programme Lead Ged Robinson says the focus is on responding to what our athletes need most.

"We've learned so much from our rangatahi this year," says Ged. "They're telling us they want support that goes beyond just sport - they're thinking about their futures, their education, and their overall hauora."

A key initiative for 2025 is the introduction of a dedicated female health programme. "With 25 wahine in our programme, we know how important it is to provide specialist support that addresses the unique challenges our female athletes face," Ged explains. "This isn't about performance - it's about understanding their bodies, managing training loads, and supporting their overall wellbeing."

Career development is another area getting more attention. We're strengthening our connections with the University of Canterbury and Lincoln University to create clearer pathways for our athletes. "Many of our rangatahi want to balance sport with tertiary study," says Ged. "By building these relationships, we can help them make informed choices about their future and support them through that journey."

To make all of this work smoothly, we're introducing a new app that will help our athletes stay connected and organised. "Our rangatahi are busy people - they're training, studying, and often working too. The app will put everything they need in one place, from training schedules to wellbeing resources."

These changes reflect TWW's commitment to developing well-rounded young people who can succeed both in sport and life. "At the end of the day," Ged says, "we want our athletes to leave our programme not just as better competitors, but as confident leaders who can make a real difference in their communities."

Community of support

The success of Tātai Whetū Waitaha in 2024 wouldn't have been possible without the generous backing of our sponsors and funding partners. These organisations share our vision of supporting young athletes to reach their potential, and their commitment goes well beyond financial support.

To all our partners - from regional sports organisations and community trusts through to local businesses - your support enables us to provide the wrap-around services that make TWW unique. Because of you, we can offer our rangatahi the specialist coaching, mental skills support, nutrition guidance, and career development opportunities that help them thrive both in life, and in sport.

As we wrap up 2024, we want to acknowledge and thank each organisation that's part of our TWW whānau. Your investment in our young athletes creates opportunities that change lives, build confidence, and strengthen our whole community.

Find us on socials

Social media is a great way to promote athlete successes and share what it's like to be part of our crew. Our posts are all about celebrating wins, and shouting out the hard work behind the scenes. 

We’d love your help. When you're posting about your sports journey or the awesome support you get from us, give us a tag. It helps more people find out about the cool stuff we're doing together. And don't forget to encourage your mates to follow us too. 

The bigger our online whānau gets, the better our chances are of scoring more funding to keep doing what we love. Let's make some noise and spread the word about Tatai Whetu Waitaha – it's all about supporting each other and growing together.

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If you’re keen to donate, check out our website and hit the big red button!

Athlete feedback

Ed Richards - Boxing

Ed is a gritty boxer who has achieved remarkable milestones in 2024, with standout performances at the World Youth Games in Colorado, USA, where he secured an impressive eighth-place world ranking, and claimed victory at the Australian Golden Gloves in Brisbane while competing up a weight class. While balancing life, work, and training across different environments, Ed has benefited significantly from the programme's holistic support. Results are one thing, getting there is entirely another and that’s where the support of the whole person comes into play. He comments that it’s this all-round understanding that makes such a difference.

For Ed, the mental health coaching proved invaluable in helping him manage his demanding triple-daily training schedule and World Championships preparation, while nutritional guidance provided crucial solutions for his dietary needs and international travel requirements. The programme's funding for altitude training also played a vital role in his preparation. Ed's dedication and success have been recognised with his selection to the NZ Boxing Elite Training Development Squad for 2025, marking another significant step in his boxing career. Ka rawe Ed, your perseverance is a credit to you.

Flynn Gunther

Flynn's year has been marked by both significant challenges and meaningful growth as a trampolinist. "Injury has been one of the biggest challenges," he shares, after dealing with shin splints that impacted his training for more than half the year. It’s setbacks like this that make the support from Tātai Whetū Waitaha invaluable, particularly through physiotherapy and podiatry sessions that Flynn believes were "absolutely essential" for his recovery.

Working with sports psychologist Ilia Lindsay helped Flynn navigate the mental challenges that accompanied his physical setbacks. A particular highlight was the hui, where Flynn gained "a much deeper understanding of nutrition, the link between sport and mental wellbeing, and other valuable insights." Beyond his own development, Flynn has found immense satisfaction in giving back to his sport, dedicating up to 10 hours a week to coaching young trampolinists. "It's been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had, and I've loved every minute of it," he reflects.

We’re so proud of Flynn, and love to hear his feedback, particularly how he values the opportunity to share knowledge with the next generation of athletes.

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

On behalf of the entire TWW team, we want to say what a privilege it's been supporting our rangatahi through 2024. Every training session, every competition, and every conversation has shown us the incredible potential of Canterbury's young athletes.

We've shared in your successes, worked through challenges together, and watched you grow not just as athletes, but as leaders in your whānau and communities. Your dedication to your sport, your willingness to try new approaches, and your support of each other make our mahi truly rewarding.

As we head into the holiday season, we hope you'll take time to rest, reconnect with whānau, and reflect on all you've achieved this year. We're already excited about what 2025 will bring, with new programmes and better tools to support you on your sporting journey.

To our athletes, their whānau, our providers, and everyone who's part of the TWW community - thank you for being part of our story in 2024. Have a safe and happy holiday season, and we'll see you back, refreshed and ready for an exciting 2025.

Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou,

Tātai Whetū Waitaha