After being employed by High Performance Sport New Zealand as lead physio with the team for the past 13 months, former WBHS pupil and Oamaru physiotherapist Craig Newlands gets his first trip to the Olympics.
He will fly to London today, alongside Mahe Drysdale and the rest of the Olympic rowing medal hopefuls.
Mr Newlands, who moved to Cambridge in 2007, said his time in Oamaru had been instrumental in developing his interest in treating sporting injuries.
"I am a Waitaki Boys' High School old boy, but it was probably my time off the rugby field and athletics track through injuries that got me interested in physiotherapy and, in particular, sports physiotherapy.
"I spent some time on the physio table myself as an athlete at school and was impressed by the treatment I received and I ended up doing some work experience with Mike Stewart and Michelle Sintmaartensdyk at the Oamaru Physiotherapy Clinic.
"After graduating, I got a job with Mike and Michelle and helped Mike out with the North Otago NPC rugby team.
"This gave me an excellent start in sports physiotherapy."
He said he was "stoked" at being selected to work with a strong rowing team.
"I think the whole Olympic experience will be awesome.
"I think there is definitely potential that this will be our most successful Olympics yet, and that is really exciting."
