Meikle: Just time to go, John?
Brimble: Yep. You always know when it’s time to go. I probably put it off a year to 18 months, due to Covid. I didn’t feel we could leave the organisation and the sector facing that challenge. I was feeling OK about leaving until last weekend, when I thought, wow, it’s really rushing up on me. We close down on December 21. But most of the work has been done, and I haven’t started any major projects. I’m ready for it, and my wife Kathryn and I will be starting another chapter. I’m looking forward to spending more time together.
How long has it been?
Fifteen years and seven months. It’s been one of those jobs where I still enjoy getting out of bed and coming to work. Part of that is because of the staff. I’ve enjoyed working with an incredible, dedicated, committed group of people, past and present, who have an amazing range of skills.
Any staff members been here the whole 15 years?
Andrew Finn would be close. Duane Donovan, certainly. Owen Booth is getting up there. We’ve got about 40 staff, which includes all our regional staff.
So the people is what you will miss most?
Definitely the staff, and the variety. No day is the same. You never quite know what challenges will come across the desk. Most of that is around addressing and meeting the needs of our various communities. We’re the second-largest geographic area in New Zealand. We’ve got a couple of metropolitan areas, but we’re largely a rural population with distinct communities. You can’t take a one-shoe-fits-all approach. I think what’s been good about Sport Otago is that we work with our people in our communities to help them identify their needs, and work with them to help them find the solutions.
Sport Otago, then, is sort of the support act behind the scenes?
A lot of what we do is under the radar. That’s good, but it also creates an issue in that people struggle to know what we do at times. We promote physical activity to encourage people to have a lifelong love of being active. That contributes to community wellbeing. We have a big focus on youth, and we are the most active region in New Zealand. I think that helps our youth in terms of resilience and mental wellbeing. We celebrate that, and why shouldn’t we? Participation in other parts of New Zealand is trending downwards, but in Otago it is trending upwards. It’s part of our DNA.
How has Sport Otago changed in your 15 years?
It’s certainly not the organisation that I inherited. I was fortunate in that I walked into a fantastic legacy developed by Glenn Turner, the first CEO, then Paul Allison. We’ve grown it from there. We’ve consolidated our relationship with Sport New Zealand. We are very much a partner of choice for them, and we deliver six contract lines across Otago for them, so that’s seen their investment increase. Things like working in primary schools to embed physical activity in the curriculum. A project at Kaikorai Valley College is another good example. We’re looking at how we integrate people with disabilities into physical activity, and open up opportunities. And in the Waitaki, we’ve led a project involving Maori, Pasifika and disabilities communities, and looking at their specific needs.
How do you think sport has changed in 15 years?
There’s certainly been a growth in grassroots sport, and that’s where we buck the trend in New Zealand. We facilitated the creation of a regional sports forum, so every 6-8 weeks we get all the sports together, and that’s become a pretty tight-knit group. They are familiar with each other, they network and support each other, and we discuss issues in common. It’s pretty unique. The calibre of the people is of a really high standard.
And at the elite level? Which athletes or moments stand out?
We’re involved with the Otago Academy of Sport, and seeing those young athletes come through and crack the international stage is rewarding. The likes of Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, Nico and Miguel Porteous, Tiarn Collins, Courtney Duncan — the real buzz is seeing them achieve at an international level. The emergence of snowsports as a major contributor to New Zealand’s international success is really an Otago success story.
What’s your background? Where did you come from?
I’m a firm South Islander now — my three boys were born and bred in Otago — but I was an Auckland Grammar boy. I came south when I was working in the steel industry, and the firm sent me down here to do an MBA. I met my wife here. I joined what was then the Otago Hospital Board, doing industrial relations and human resources. I worked at a national level, negotiating industrial rewards for various staffing groups. Then I went to Dunedin City Council, initially as their first personnel manager then as group manager operations for 14 years, with the bulk of the budget and staff. It made you feel like you were juggling 10 eggs and knowing you weren’t going to catch them all. Then I worked at King’s High School and became head of their international department. I did some coaching — I actually coached Ben Smith at one stage. He was a stand-out then. He just had that X-factor. I think all my roles benefited Sport Otago because I had connections right across Otago and nationally.
Who are your sons?
Gerrad is 41, Justin is 39, and Hamish is 37.
What was your sport of choice?
I was a track athlete. Sprinter and long jumper. I also played rugby as a centre or wing. I played for Manukau when we won the Gallaher Shield for only the second time in its history, and I played for High School Old Boys in Bay of Plenty. Then I played a couple of years of senior hockey. Social basketball. And when the legs gave out, I became a cyclist, and my wife and I enjoy our biking.
And what does the future hold?
The priority is having three or four months off, and doing a bit of work on our property. More time with the two grandkids — twin girls. And we’ll have a look around New Zealand.
Sporting bucket list?
I’d love to go to an Olympic Games. Otherwise a good tramp. Our youngest did a tramp through the Spanish-French Alps area and said it was a fantastic experience.
If John Brimble is inviting three sporting figures, alive or dead, to dinner, who turns up?
Peter Snell, Murray Halberg, and Arthur Lydiard.
