Reflecting on 2024: Mid Canterbury

2024 was a year of exciting achievements and change for our Tātai Whetū Waitaha crew in Mid Canterbury.

We started the year with a change in personnel, with me (Tayla) taking over the Athlete Lead role from the wonderful Hayley Lee. Many valuable lessons were learned as the year progressed, and I’ve loved getting to know all the Mid Canterbury athletes and their support networks.

Our Mid Canterbury athletes have achieved success both on and off the sporting field. A couple of notable highlights include Sophie Gibson, Phoebe McKenzie, and Holly-Jayne Feutz being recognised for their skills and commitment in sport at the 2024 Aoraki Secondary School Sports Awards. Sophie took home the Female Sportsperson of the Year award — a huge achievement!

Makeleta Vasili-Ula made the Netball New Zealand Secondary School National Development Camp after hours of dedication to her training and competition. Lucy Reeve competed in Italy for the Down Under Cycling Academy, catapulting her experience and drive for the sport.

These are only a handful of achievements from our whole Mid Canterbury group and we are proud of all progress, no matter how big or small. These achievements don’t happen lightly, with many of our athletes traveling back and forth every week (often multiple trips) to Canterbury for training sessions and competition. They have been an inspiring group of athletes to work with.

The heartwarming aspect of our Mid Canterbury athletes is that they give back to the wider community. Many have been coaching at their sporting clubs to help develop players, volunteering within school groups, and stepping into leadership roles.

I can’t wait to see what 2025 brings for our TWW Mid Canterbury community!

Tayla Bruce
Athlete Lead
Mid Canterbury