Years of training have paid off for two Wānaka teenagers selected to represent South Island at the St John national youth competition.

Seventeen-year-old Carter Hewson and 15-year-old Lily Wilson will make up part of a 24-person squad, selected from St John cadets across the South Island, who will compete together in Christchurch next April.

“I’m pretty excited to be able to represent our district and region at the national competition,” Carter said.

Carter and Lily are the first Wānaka St John cadets to be selected for the South Island squad at the competition, which will see three squads from around the country compete to best react to staged accident and emergency situations.

Props, makeup and patients will be utilised to make the emergency situations appear as realistic as possible so the cadets react in ways that mirror how they would respond in a true emergency.

Lily said she was looking forward to competing against the best St John cadets in the country.

“I think it will be a really great experience for both of us and I think it's nice we get to do it together,” Lily said. “We’ll have to do a range of clinical tests and practices, as well as drills and lots of teamwork stuff.”

Both Carter and Lily have been involved in Wānaka St John programmes since they were six years old and both assist with the running of the Wānaka division on a weekly basis.

Carter, who is also a volunteer firefighter, recently completed his cadet leader training and Lily her sergeant training.

Carter says he hopes to be a first responder in the future and Lily thinks she’ll do “something healthcare wise”. 

“I have a few years as a cadet before that,” Lily said.

The St John national competition will be held in Christchurch on April 22-25, 2022. 

PHOTO: Wānaka App