Sarah Gunn
While farming is also in her blood, Sarah is planning on taking her passion in a different route.
The talented athlete, despite being only about 163cm tall, plays at goal defence in netball.
"I’m bouncing, constantly; my vertical jumps have improved; I’m flying at the moment."
Sarah was the undefeated Central Otago junior girls’ cross-country champion for five years.
She hopes to transition into multisport endurance racing and "maybe run around more hills" once she relocates to Wanaka next year.
There, she plans to complete Otago Polytechnic’s outdoor education adventure course, a passion ignited during a week-long Lions Youth Leadership course run by Adventure Southland in Fiordland last year.
"It was so fun — I was in my element [and] buzzing for the whole week, so I knew this lights my fire."
Longer term, however, she is not sure if she wants to have a career as an outdoor instructor, or one in photography and filmmaking "and do outdoor adventure as a side hustle".
She is also looking to have a break from netball, having this year made the Central Otago and Upper Clutha under-18 netball team, competing at the nationals in Christchurch, but may return to that, socially.
"I’m a bit short [for netball].
"Maybe I’ll stick to something that short people can go far in," she said with a laugh.
Achievements: Central Otago representative netball team (2016-22); Sticks’n’Stones committee member (2018-22); netball coach (2020-21); school choir (2018-21); undefeated Central Otago junior girls’ cross-country champion (2015-19); jazz dance (2009-18); head pupil, house leader, Central Otago and Upper Clutha under-18 netball team (2022); excellence endorsement NCEA level 2; Roxburgh Area School overall best all-round performance; South Island volleyball team; New Zealand Area School netball; New Zealand ki o rahi team (2021).
Role model: Her mother, Leda Gunn, who lives with multiple sclerosis and "just keeps on chugging" without complaint.
Plans for the future: Inspiring others to connect with the outdoors and nature; motivating people to live their best lives.
Jessamy Wales
The Roxburgh Area School head pupil says her role models are her three elder sisters — a lawyer, an apprentice engineer and a commerce degree graduate, who has just started a medical degree.
She says all of them "are just so incredibly hard-working and excelling in what they’re doing".
So, however, is Jessamy.
She has achieved subject endorsements in every subject so far in NCEA levels 1 and 2.
"I’m pretty proud of that".
Now, the 17-year-old is eyeing up the University of Otago next year, to embark on a health science degree, ultimately aiming to become a physiotherapist.
"I think I would like to be part of sport rehab — that would be my ideal. It would be awesome if I could work with national teams, but we’ll see."
The talented young horsewoman travelled to China with the New Zealand Pony Clubs Association’s showjumping team in 2019, which was "definitely a highlight".
She has also played netball since the age of 7.
For the past two years, Jessamy was goal shoot for the Southern Area Schools netball team, and she intends to keep playing the sport next year, albeit socially.
And, while a little nervous about the impending change — moving from a school with a total roll of 140 from new entrants to year 13 to Dunedin — she was also excited about what was to come, Jessamy said.
Achievements: Roxburgh Area School A netball team (2020-22); netball coach (2020-22); Southern Area Schools netball (2021-22); volleyball (2021-22); Pioneer Energy Science Scholarship (2020-21); Perris Cup for public speaking, board of trustees representative, head pupil (2022); excellence endorsement NCEA level 2, Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award, South Island Area Schools netball B team, basketball (2021); excellence endorsement NCEA level 1, Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, CETA Medal for excellence in a commercial subject (accounting) (2020); New Zealand Pony Club Association showjumping team (2019); South Island Pony Club Showjumping Championships most points intermediate rider (2018).
Role models: Three older sisters
Hopes for the future: Physiotherapist with a focus on sport rehabilitation
