Three Southland sports professionals — referee manager Paddy O’Brien, physiotherapist Karl McDonald and psychologist Jason McKenzie — are heading to England to share their skills and experience to support athletes, coaches and referees in the international competition.
While McKenzie and McDonald will be working at the Commonwealth Games for the first time, it will be O’Brien’s seventh time at the event.
"Being part of the Commonwealth and/or Olympics Games is special. We do a lot of other international series and events but those two have a different atmosphere," O’Brien said.
"I am a very proud Southlander anyway and I love the fact that we can do our work from down here - it is awesome.
"You don’t have to be in Auckland, Christchurch or any other big city to make it to the world stage and we are here to prove that."
McDonald agreed and said sometimes he needed to pinch himself, as he was regularly accomplishing childhood dreams.
"I remember as a kid watching [weightlifter] Precious McKenzie getting gold for New Zealand, and to be able to go over there now and play a small part in such important event, it is pretty exciting," McDonald said.
The pair will be supporting the referees in the men’s and women’s rugby sevens competitions.
O’Brien said eight men and six women referees were selected from Commonwealth countries to officiate at the Games.
McDonald said referees needed to be at peak fitness for the event.
"They need to be at their best because the athletes will be at their best, so we can’t afford to have them making bad decisions because they feel fatigue."
While O’Brien and McDonald will be taking care of the referees, McKenzie will be part of the team providing wellbeing and performance support for the coaches and athletes in the New Zealand team.
As manager of the Academy Southland programme McKenzie has worked with many athletes at the top of various sports Southland.
Having also performed a similar role at the Tokyo Olympics, he would reconnect with some of those athletes at the Commonwealth Games, McKenzie said.
"It is really cool reconnecting with athletes, especially the ones coming from Southland in such a pinnacle event like that.
"I will be there to support them as much as I can."
For that, McKenzie is heading to Birmingham before the athletes arrive, to set up accommodation and make sure everything is ready for them.
This is just a glimpse of many things he does to support the athletes.
"Part of my job is making them feel like they are at home," McKenzie said.
He felt proud to represent Southland in such an important field as mental health, which had become a priority for athletes.
"A happy athlete is a well-performed athlete. There is so much more emphasis on supporting and helping the mental health of those athletes than ... 17 years ago, when I started.
"To be able to see and support that change is exciting."
The Games start on July 28.
