Fourteen Wanaka athletes, ranging in age from 14 to 20, are preparing for an intensive one-day ‘camp’ as part of their Otago Academy of Sport’s talent accelerator programme (TAP).

The camp, which is being run in Cromwell on July 26, is part of a two-year programme designed to nurture, support and educate talented athletes to achieve excellence in their chosen sport.

The following seven athletes from Wanaka were selected for the TAP this year: Sam Pearce (rowing), Abby Fisher (athletics), Emily Findlay (rowing), Neve Faed (rowing), Lyla Chamberlain (rowing), Lui Arnold (downhill mountain biking) and Harrison James Messenger (alpine ski racing). 

More Wanaka-based athletes are in year two of the TAP, including McKay Watson (triathlon and road cycling), Trey Watson (triathlon, cycling and multisport), Cooper Mills (multisport), Saffron Millar (soccer), Kate Crawford (alpine skiing), Bain Calder (alpine skiing) and Keir Roberts (alpine skiing based in Italy).

Programme manager Carmel Leslie said the athletes were selected based on performance criteria, successes to date in their chosen sport and their dedication, commitment and future goals. 

Four promising Wanaka rowers made up more than half of those selected from the Upper Clutha.

“The TAP athletes are put forward by their coaches, sports coordinators and other people involved in sport who believed in their talent and the value they would gain from our programme,” Carmel said.

The programme utilises workshops and the camp to help athletes with their health and wellbeing, athlete life and mental skills training. “They also receive sport science support and education in the area of sports nutrition and strength and conditioning.”

“This year due to COVID-19 and lockdown we ran all our workshops via Zoom,” Carmel said. “This worked well and helped to fill the void from the athletes’ inability to train and kept them focused and motivated through this tough period.”

During the one-day camp, athletes will do a range of practical activities such as cooking and smoothie making to help with their competition day nutrition; strength and conditioning exercises, stretching and recovery; and life balance for health and wellbeing. The day concludes by marking the graduation of the year two TAP athletes from the programme.

“We are very fortunate to have the support of the Southern Trust and the Otago Community Trust who enable us to deliver the TAP to these talented athletes and to give them a chance of furthering themselves in their sport and to strive for higher honours on the national and international stage,” Carmel said.

PHOTOS: Supplied