Generation Skip

 
 

Introducing generation skip

Generation skip brings together the wisdom of generations past and present to enhance the understanding and aspirations of both. It illuminates our kiwi heroes and teaches us about our heritage along the way. Through the narration of personal insights and experiences of historical events like the Springbok tour of 1981, we hear what it was like to live through important moments which continue to influence our culture even today. 

Our mission is to provide a space for inspiration and aspirations to be shared. Here, kiwi greats relate their journeys of striving towards their hopes and dreams. They share stories of overcoming obstacles, and the strategies they found to help them, as they pursued and accomplished remarkable achievements.

Our heartfelt future thanks to all our amazing speakers, and a special thanks to Rod Dixon for his inspiration, assistance, and connectivity along the way.

 

Rod Dixon

Born in Nelson in 1950, Rodney Philip “Rod” Dixon is a former middle- to long-distance runner. For 17 years he was one of the most preeminent runners in the world. He competed in a number of global sporting events, including the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, and the 1976 Montreal Olympics. After turning his attention to road running in the 1980’s, Dixon went on to achieve spectacular results, including wins at the Falmouth Road Race (1980), Bay to Breakers (1982, 1983), and the Philadelphia Half-Marathon (1981). These amazing successes were highlighted by his spectacular win at the New York City Marathon in 1983. In 1991 Runners World magazine voted Dixon “the world’s most versatile athlete for the last 25 years.” 

Photo: RunBlogRun

Since retiring from the international stage, Dixon has triumphed the cause of children’s wellbeing, passionately advocating for children’s health and fitness through his Kids Marathon programme and Foundation. So far the programme has reached over half a million kids in the United States! He has also supported a number of other projects internationally, including Jamie Oliver’s lunch in schools programme in the UK. His goal is for children across the globe to attain their physical exercise and nutrition needs, and along the way to gain an understanding of the value of physical health and positive lifelong habits in general. 

Photo: Sportzhub Adventure Sport

In this conversation, Dixon shared some experiences and reflections on his career, including his amazing victory in the New York City Marathon, and his disappointment in missing the Moscow Olympics because of Russia’s involvement in the Soviet-Afghan war. He also spoke about the wonderful work he has been doing with young people since his professional retirement.

 

Hamish Carter

Born in Auckland in 1971, Hamish Carter is a former world-class triathlete and Olympic gold medalist. During his career he gained and then maintained the Number 1 world ranking in the International Triathlon Union (ITU) for longer than any other triathlete. After a breakthrough 3rd placing in the ITU Championships in 1993, Carter went on to win a bronze medal in the 2002 Manchester Games, which he followed up with a spectacular win in the Oceania Championships later that year. His athletic career culminated with a stellar gold medal victory in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Carter earned the title of Sportsman of the Year in 2004, and was subsequently awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours list of 2004/2005 for his services to sport. Having won twelve ITU World Cup circuits throughout his career, Carter’s final World Cup race was in 2006, where he gained a silver medal, before announcing his retirement from professional sport in 2007. 

Photo: NZEdge

Since retiring from international sport, Carter has worked with a range of organisations and trusts, including Lion, the Sir Peter Blake Trust, and High Performance Sport New Zealand. He has served on the boards of High Performance Sport New Zealand, Spirit of Adventure, and the Local Organising Committee Triathlon World Champs, as well as being involved with a (now dissolved) Air New Zealand Inspiring New Zealanders scholarship programme. Carter enjoys working with contemporary athletes, and he attended the 2008 Beijing Olympics as an ambassador to the New Zealand Olympic team. A wonderful storyteller, Carter is also known for his entertaining and inspiring talks and presentations, just like this one! 

Photo: SpeakersNZ

In this conversation, Hamish reminisced about kiwi athletes like John Walker who inspired him to dream big when he was young. He shared some valuable insights about the importance of being challenged, as well as some advice for how to manage disappointment. He also provided some fascinating insight into confidence, as well as some tips for up-and-coming kiwi athletes to look out for!

 

Lorraine Moller

Lorraine was born in Putaruru in 1955. The great Sir Peter Snell described her as “New Zealand’s greatest women’s distance runner” and her formidable career testifies to his statement. She began running competitively as a young teenager. She first represented New Zealand at the Christchurch Commonwealth Games in 1974, where she ranked fifth place in the 800m, and she later went on to compete in Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in 1982 (earning two bronze medals in the 1500m and 3000m), and in Edinburgh in 1986 (earning a silver medal in the marathon). Throughout her career she won an incredible 16 major international marathons, including the Avon World Marathon Championship, three times, and the Boston Marathon in 1984. She was the first woman to compete in the Olympic Games four consecutive times throughout her career, beginning with the inaugural Olympic marathon for women in 1984. She is especially known for a spectacular bronze medal win at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. 

Photo: Gary Moller

Since retiring from sport, Moller has served as the vice president of Hearts of Gold, and helped to facilitate charity running events in Cambodia, Mongolia, and East Timor. She is a co-founder and president of the Lydiard Foundation, which aims to preserve the exceptional coaching and training principles of the legendary Arthur Lydiard. In 2008 she released an autobiography, On the Wings of Mercury, which was launched by then Prime Minister Helen Clark, and ranked at #2 on New Zealand’s Best Seller List. She also maintains continued involvement with Rod Dixon’s KidsMarathon. 

Photo: IAIN McGREGOR/Waikato Times

In this conversation, Lorraine expressed her gratitude for growing up in New Zealand and the sense of pride she feels when wearing the silver fern on the international stage. She talks about setting her sights on the Olympic Games when they first allowed women to compete in 1984, and her beliefs about how we can all find a way to contribute to the world. She shared some of the incredible work she has done in Cambodia and Mongolia since she retired from professional sport, some interesting background to her home in Boulder, Colorado, and her advice to kids growing up today about trust, honesty, and self-belief. She even answered some wonderful questions from our kids, including how to deal with nerves and how to motivate yourself when you just aren’t feeling it.

 

Sir Bryan Williams

Sir Bryan Williams was born in Auckland in 1950. Easily one of the greatest rugby wingers of all time, his name is synonymous with sporting greatness in New Zealand. His self-proclaimed “love affair” with rugby began when he became part of the Mt Albert Grammar School 1st XV at the age of 14. At age 16, he played for the Ponsonby Seniors, scoring a try in his first match with the team. By age 18 he had become a regular with the Auckland provincial team. In 1970, at the age of 19, he was selected for the All Blacks team for the South African tour. As a non-White, he was somewhat apprehensive about the tour, however he soon asserted himself by scoring two tries in his first match in Pretoria. Sir Bryan earned an astounding 14 tries in 13 appearances in South Africa. Overall, Sir Bryan played 133 matches in his career, including 38 tests for the All Blacks between 1970-1978. This included tours of South Africa in 1970 and 1976, British and Irish Lions visits in 1971 and 1977, an infamous sodden test match against Scotland in 1975, and the 1978 Grand Slam tour. He scored 66 tries in total throughout his career.

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Although he retired from playing rugby in 1982, he maintained continued involvement with other aspects of the sport including coaching and administration. He has held close ties with Samoan rugby, advocating for the team on the world stage, and coaching Manu Samoa during the 1990’s. Sir Bryan was assistant coach to the Hurricanes in 2000-2001, and was president of the New Zealand Rugby Union between 2011-2013, during which time he was responsible for overseeing the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He has been a member of the Ponsonby Rugby Football Club since 1960, and has held various titles between 2001-2015,  including as President and Director of Rugby. He is still on the Club’s Committee. He founded the Mt Albert Grammar School Rugby Academy and continued to serve as director until 2012. In tribute, they named their number one playing field after him in 2017; it is now known as the BG Williams Field. He served as President of the New Zealand Barbarians Rugby Club between 2015-2016, and continues to serve as a patron of the club. He also still serves as a Trustee to the New Zealand Rugby Foundation. Sir Bryan was knighted in the New Years Honours List 2018 in recognition of his outstanding services to rugby. Remarkably, throughout, Sir Bryan also managed to establish and maintain a successful career as a lawyer. 

The Governor-General of New Zealand

In this conversation, Sir Bryan provided a rich vignette of his life and career. He speaks of the challenges of playing in South Africa under Apartheid, his heroes growing up, his time coaching the Auckland team with Maurice Trapp, and being knighted. He shared personal anecdotes, including what it was really like to play that waterlogged match in 1975. Sir Bryan also reflected on fostering determination, the importance of time management, and the importance of rugby clubs for communities and the sport alike. In addition to valuable advice about showing grace and humility in losing, he shared some astute advice to ten year olds growing up today about making the most of every opportunity which comes their way.

 

Leigh Kenyon

Leigh Kenyon was born in Manchester, England in 1979. He is a retired footballer who has been a passionate advocate for the game for a number of decades. He played for Manchester United in his youth, as well as for Bolton and Blackpool, before moving to New Zealand. Upon his arrival, he played for what is now the Wellington Phoenix, the only professional football team in New Zealand.

Courtesy of Leigh Kenyon

Since he retired from professional sport, Kenyon has been heavily involved in youth development football in New Zealand, in both community and elite environments. He served as Director of the Wellington Phoenix Soccer School (later Auckland United) for a number of years, before assuming the role of Director of Sports with the Villa Education Trust.

Courtesy of Leigh Kenyon

In this conversation, Leigh recollected his upbringing, surrounded by football, and his father’s and grandfather’s passion for the sport which eventually snared him too. He shared some wonderful advice about work ethic and positive habits, and the difference these attributes can make to success. He reminds us all of the importance of fun and a positive attitude, and the magic which sport can bring to its players, beyond the health and fitness it provides. Kenyon spoke about his work with some outstanding footballers in his youth, including Chris Wood and Sarpreet Singh. He encouraged kids with some words of wisdom, provided some advice to parents about how to support their kids to succeed, and he even revealed his favourite player of all time!

 

Ethan Mitchell

Ethan Mitchell was born in Auckland in 1991. He is a triple world champion and Olympic medal-winning track cyclist. His professional track cycling career began in 2009 when he became part of the Cycling New Zealand high performance programme. He went on to achieve remarkable successes throughout his 12-years in the sport, particularly as part of a men’s team sprint trio alongside Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins. Together, the team accomplished podium finishes in the world championships for five consecutive years, between 2013 and 2017, including rainbow jersey wins in 2014, 2016, and 2017. In 2017, Mitchell earned a bronze place in the championship’s individual sprint; the first ever individual sprint medal for New Zealand. The trio also gained gold medals in the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2018, as well as an incredible silver medal at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. During the Olympic final, Mitchell attained the title of the world’s best team sprint starter, being the first to come in under 17 seconds.

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Since retiring from professional racing in February 2022, Ethan has translated his learnings and skills into work as a High Performance Coach with Bayleys Real Estate. He enjoys working with high-achieving agents to better themselves and perform to their personal best. He actively supports Cure Kids, and he has been involved in a number of their appeals including the Cadbury ‘Donate Your Kit’ drive in 2019.

Olympic.org.nz

In this conversation, Ethan shared some great advice about the importance of proper rest, including some routines worth considering to stay energised. He emphasised the importance of being present in life and managing distractions. He shared some of his personal passions, eating habits and warm-up routines, as well as some thoughts about mindset, maintaining self-belief, and trust. He had excellent wisdom and insight to convey about having a team mentality. He also gave us some tips for incredible up-and-coming kiwi cyclists to watch out for!

 

In Memorium: Sir Peter Snell

The late, great, Sir Peter Snell was born in Opunake in 1938. He was a middle-distance runner, gold medal Olympian and Empire Games champion, world-record setter, and dedicated Kiwi. He is renowned as one of New Zealand’s greatest sportsmen of all time, as well as one of the greatest-ever middle-distance runners in the world. He attended boarding school at Mt Albert Grammar School, where he was introduced to the unconventional and controversial training methods of the great Arthur Lydiard. Upon leaving school he took up training under Lydiard. He soon burst onto the world stage with a surprise win in the 800m at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, contributing to New Zealand’s unexpected dominance that year alongside Murray Halberg and Barry McGee. Following this spectacular victory, he went on to set multiple world records in 1962, including the 800m world-record (1 min, 44.3 sec), the 880-yard race (1 min, 45.1 sec) and the mile run (3 min, 54.4 sec; which he later lowered to 3 min, 54.1 sec in 1964). He confirmed his international supremacy at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, where he won gold medals in both the 800m and the 1500m, an exceptionally rare feat which had not at that time been achieved since 1920, and which remains unparalleled today. No longer wishing to endure the demands and sacrifices which such high-performance sport required, Sir Peter retired the following year in 1965, at age 26. In the early 1960’s, Sir Peter had been a cult figure; whenever he ran, enormous crowds of fans were sure to be in attendance.

Following his retirement he worked as a director of coaching at the Rothmans Foundation, however he had developed a strong desire for anonymity which he struggled to gain. After a year at Loughborough College in England, he moved abroad to pursue an academic career in Texas, taking his family with him. He gained a BSc from the University of California, and then a PhD in Sports Medicine from Washington State University. Having gained his qualifications, he joined the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas as a postdoctoral fellow. He later went on to become the director of the Human Performance Laboratory, and in this role he served as a scientific advisor to the US Olympic Committee. Despite the geographical distance, Sir Peter remained attached to New Zealand sport. He served as Governor of the Sports Foundation and nurtured the development of world-class kiwi talent through the Peter Snell International of Sport throughout his time in Dallas. In 2017, at a special ceremony, he donated two of his gold medals and twelve other precious items, including one of the shoes he wore during his Olympic-winning run in 1960, to Te Papa Museum, where they remain on display today.

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Sir Peter’s incredible contributions to New Zealand sport have been recognised on a number of occasions. He was named New Zealand Sportsman of the Year twice in 1960 and 1964. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1962, and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1965. In 1990, he ran the final lap at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Auckland. The Halberg Trust, in partnership with the New Zealand Sports Hall of fame, named him the New Zealand Sports Champion of the 20th Century in 2000. In 2002 he became a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sport, and in 2009 he accepted the title Knight Companion of the Order and officially became Sir Peter Snell. His accomplishments were celebrated in a special-issue postage stamp in 2004, as well as a bronze statue at Cooks Garden in Opunake, his hometown, in 2007. Sir Peter’s expertise in exercise science were recognised early-on internationally, with his inaugural induction to the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame at the University of Rhode Island in 1999. This was recognised domestically with an honorary doctorate from Massey University in 2007. 

TePapa.govt.nz

In this special conversation, Rod Dixon and Alwyn Poole reflect on the incredible life and accomplishments of the great Sir Peter Snell. Rod shared his recollections of Sir Peter’s role in New Zealand’s eruption onto the world stage at the Olympic Games in 1960. We hear some delightful anecdotes about Sir Peter’s character, his values and attitudes, his adventures, lessons he learned along the way, challenges he overcame, and of course his ever-competitive spirit. Alwyn even revealed a quirky way he earned money in the days before professional athletes got paid!

 

Erin Baker & Scott Molina

Erin Baker

Born in 1961 in Kaiapoi, Erin Baker is widely considered to be one of the greatest female triathletes of all time. During her career she won 104 of the 121 races she entered, often by wide margins. Baker’s talent was made apparent early-on, when she began running competitively in cross-country races when she was 15. Her professional career began at the Sydney triathlon in 1984, which she won. Following this, she went on to win the ETU championships (including long distance) in 1985 and 1986. She was the winner of the world middle-distance championships in France in 1985 and 1988. Also in France, in 1989, Baker became the first ITU world champion, a result which she went on to replicate the following year. She also competed in the Olympic distance world championships in Canada in 1988 and the ITU duathlon world championships in Cathedral City in 1991, both of which she won. Remarkably, she has also won the female New Zealand Ironman four times (1986, 1987, 1990, 1994), and the Ironman women’s world championships in Hawaii in 1987 and 1990. Baker remains one of only two triathletes to win all four world championship competitions (Ironman, long distance, Olympic distance, and duathlon). In the 1993 New Year Honours she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services as a triathlete. After retiring from professional sport in 1994, she was soon inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. Triathlete magazine went on to name Baker “Triathlete of the Decade.” In recognition of her contributions to sport, the Taupo Sports Advisory Council has instituted an Erin Baker award, which is to be awarded to any sportsperson who manages to complete Taupo’s four major triathlon-type events during the same season. In 2014 she was inducted into the world triathlon (ITU) inaugural Hall of Fame, and in 2018 she was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame.

After retiring as a professional athlete, Baker spent some time serving as a councillor on the Christchurch City Council. She has also served on the Canterbury District Health Board. She spent a number of years as the managing director of Orthomed, a business which supplied hip replacement solutions. She is now enjoying retirement alongside her husband, Scott Molina, in Christchurch. Throughout her career, and since, Baker has been a controversial and outspoken figure, particularly in the service of equality for women in sport. She was arrested amongst apartheid protests of the Springbok tour in 1981. She boycotted (or threatened to) a number of races throughout her career in protest against unequal prize money (or similar inequalities) for women, including the Hawaii Ironman competition and the 1989 ITU world championship. Her actions in the latter were directly responsible for achieving equal prize money for men and women from that time onwards. Domestically, she has criticised New Zealand’s male-dominated sports culture, which she largely attributes to media and sponsorship biases. 

Scott Molina

Scott Molina was born in 1960 in Pittsburgh, California. He was a member of the infamous “Big Four” (alongside Dave Scott, Mark Allen and Scott Tinley), who were pioneers in the early days of triathlon and dominated races throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. He won over 100 professional victories throughout his career, including 17 in 1984 alone. In 1985, Molina won the inaugural New Zealand Ironman, the first Ironman competition to be hosted outside of Hawaii. He went on to win the Ironman world championship in Kona, Hawaii in 1988. It was around this time he earned the nickname “The Terminator.” He also went on to win the Zofingen ITU Duathlon World Cup in 1991. He maintained continued engagement with the sport for a number of years, and as recently as 2012 he placed second in the Barfoot and Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final in Auckland. Molina was named Triathlete of the Year by Triathlete magazine in 1984, and he was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame in 2018.

Throughout his career and after his professional retirement, Molina was involved in a number of triathlon coaching and training camps. He founded the triathlon camp, Epic Camp, alongside Gordo Byrn, which is self-described as “like a Tour de France of Triathlon.” He was a contributing author of One-Hour Workouts: 50 Swim, Bike, and Run Workouts for Busy Athletes. He has also made a number of guest appearances on IMTalk. He is now enjoying retirement alongside his wife, Erin Baker, in Christchurch.

In this conversation, Erin and Scott both recalled childhoods spent exploring the great outdoors. We learned about the genesis of the Ironman competition, and heard Erin’s perspectives on her work towards, and the ongoing goal of, achieving equal recognition for women in sport. Erin and Scott both reveal the moment their sporting ambitions were sparked, and what it was actually like to experience when they came to race in international competitions. Erin tells us about her involvement with protests during the Springbok tour in 1981, before both she and Scott share their experiences with sponsorship, and some advice for young athletes seeking a career in sports today.

 

Philippa Baker-Hogan

Born in 1963 in Kaiapoi, Philippa Baker-Hogan (née Baker) is a former New Zealand rower turned politician. She is one of eight children, including sister Erin Baker (learn more about her in last week’s Generation Skip!). Baker-Hogan initially began rowing with Canterbury, then later joined Cambridge, before moving to Wanganui and the Union Boat Club in 1993, to work with coach Dick Tonks. Her first major success was at the 1987-88 New Zealand Rowing Championships where she won both the premier lightweight and the premier heavyweight single sculls; a success which remained unmatched until 2017. She then went on to compete in the lightweight women’s single sculls at the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games, where she claimed a silver medal. She competed in the World Rowing Championships four times between 1986-1989 before winning gold at the 1991 Championships in Vienna - the first gold medal win for New Zealand women at the World Rowing Championships. Baker-Hogan teamed up with Brenda Lawson to compete in the Summer Olympics in Barcelona (1992) and the United States (1996). The pair earned a bronze medal at the 1995 World Rowing Championships in Finland. She has received a number of accolades, including the supreme award at the 1991 Halberg Awards, and being named Sportswoman of the Year the same year. Alongside sister Erin she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1993 New Year Honours, for services to rowing. At the 1994 Halberg Awards, she and teammate Brenda Lawson were named New Zealand team of the year, and they also won the supreme award that year. The pair were the first female rowers to be inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Stuff.co.nz

Baker-Hogan lives in Wanganui with her two children and husband Shaun, whose Osteopathic business she manages. Since retiring from professional sport, she has been an active member of the Wanganui political community. She has been a member of the Wanganui District Health Board since 2004, and joined the Wanganui District Council in 2006, where she was elected as a councillor to then-mayor, Michael Laws. She has been a trustee of the Whanganui Community Foundation since 2009, and she became the chair of the Foundation in 2013. She is also the chair of the New Zealand Masters Games Company, as well as the Future Champions Trust, which she founded.

Whanganui.govt.nz

In this conversation, Philippa reveals how she came across rowing by accident! She shares insights about the key to success as a sportsperson and developing direction and determination. She gives advice about getting involved in a rowing club, and reflects on managing nerves and finding a flow state. We hear about some key influences and relationships throughout her life and career, including sister Erin Baker and team mate Brenda Lawson, and developing a cooperative mindset. She expresses her philosophy about sport and its wider relevance to life and what it was like to win the Halberg Award - twice!

 

Paul Kingsman

Born in Auckland in 1967, Paul Kingman is a former swimmer; the first male individual swimmer to win an Olympic medal for New Zealand. He entered competitive sport at just 15 years old, qualifying for the 200m finals in the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. At the time, this made him the youngest-ever New Zealander to compete in the Commonwealth Games. At 17, he ranked 10th in the 100m backstroke at the Los Angeles Olympics. He continued to climb in world rankings, and at the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games he gained silver medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke. His performance at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul was a particular standout. After qualifying for the finals of the 200m backstroke with a time of 2min 02.20s, making him the second-slowest finalist, he stormed through to overtake former world-record holder Sergei Zabolotnov in the final stretch and earned the bronze medal by four-hundredths of a second. His time in this race, 2:00.48, set a new Commonwealth record and remains the longest standing national record in New Zealand swimming, at 20 years (being broken in 2008). Kingsman’s final competitive swims took place at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1990, where he earned a bronze and silver medal, as well as an emotional farewell from his significant local support-base. In the 1990 Queen’s Birthday Honours, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to swimming.

teara.govt.nz

After retiring from professional sport, Kingsman became a national sales and marketing manager for Speedo sportswear, before establishing and running his own swim school. He moved to San Francisco in 2001, and currently lives in South Carolina with his wife and son. He is an esteemed financial advisor and motivational speaker in the financial industry. He also serves as a pastor at his local community church, and has spent a number of years serving as a prison chaplain in a US county jail.

wikipedia.org

In this rich conversation, shared with Rod Dixon and Phillippa Langrell, we hear about what the Olympics are really like to experience in-person. Paul reflects on the real effect which distractions can have on performance, and how the (now licenced) term he coined, ‘distraction proof’, came to fruition. Paul shares personal reflections of his time as an athlete, including who he was inspired by, the pool he used to train in, and how he got into racing backstroke, as well as working with Hilton Brown and what made him such an exceptional coach. He relates insights about his outlook on life and what has motivated him to perform, as well as his competitive nature which shines through in all areas, even when mowing the lawns! We also hear about Paul’s incredible work as a jail chaplain and his experience with prison inmates, as well as some meaningful lessons for our legal system and broader society. 

 

Michael Brake

Michael Brake, born in Auckland in 1994, is an internationally renowned rower and gold medal Olympian. Brake first became involved in rowing at his school, Westlake Boys High School, as a 13-year old. This quickly became a motivated passion, and his competitive career began with the North Shore Rowing Club in his final year of school, 2012. That year he competed in two boat classes, the club eight and the U19 coxed four, winning both. Based on those stellar performances, he was selected for the New Zealand junior rowing team, and later that year he competed in the World Rowing Junior Championships in Bulgaria. Brake was among the coxed four who came away from that regatta with a gold medal. He achieved excellent results in New Zealand rowing championships in 2013 and 2014, the latter ensuring his selection for the New Zealand U23 team which participated in the U23 2014 World Rowing Championships in Italy. The coxed four, of which he was a part, gained a silver medal at that event. The following year, Brake won his first New Zealand national title in the premier men’s category, and he again competed in the World Rowing Championships in Italy. Despite missing out on a bronze medal by 0.13, the results of the men’s eight in that race qualified them for the 2016 Rio Olympics. After a number of preparation events leading up to the Olympic competition, Brake and his teammates earned sixth place at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. Brake then suffered a challenging two years. After undergoing surgery for a wrist injury in the 2016-2017 domestic season, Brake subsequently broke his other wrist, which entailed a long period of recovery. He re-entered the scene with steadfast determination, though. Alongside teammate Tom Murray, Brake earned a silver and bronze medal at the World Rowing Cups II and III respectively, and then went on to gain a silver medal at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Austria, which qualified the pair for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although these Games were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, eventually Brake was selected for the New Zealand eight team. The team earned qualifying spots with wins in both the preliminary race and final of the Olympic Qualification Regatta in May 2021, which aptly foreshadowed their spectacular gold medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

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