For some, 2023 will be the last year they get to pull on their school colours, but no doubt many will achieve high honours in the future.
These profiles are provided by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association.
TRINITY CATHOLIC COLLEGE
Bella Stewart, 17
Sport: Curling.
Highlight: Winning women’s under-21 title.
Training regime: Going to the gym, home workouts, running, ice training each week.
Dream: To get selected for a New Zealand representative team and travel overseas.
Ellie McKenzie, 17
Sport: Curling.
Highlight: Travelling to Norway for a curling training camp.
Training regime: Going to the gym, running, yoga, on-ice training each week.
Dream: To get selected for a New Zealand representative team, such as the junior or Youth Olympic team.
Olivia Oram, 18
Sport: Curling.
Highlights: Winning the NZSS curling championships for two years consecutively and winning the New Zealand women’s under-21 title.
Training regime: When in season, practising once to twice a week, including playing in the weekly school competition.
Dream: To be able to continue playing curling throughout my studies while attending university.
Sarah Oram, 17
Sport: Curling.
Highlights: Winning the NZSS curling championships for two years consecutively and winning the New Zealand women’s under-21 title.
Training: When in curling season, practise once to twice a week.
Sporting dream: To hopefully continue to play in years to come.
BAYFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Tamaliyah Bogileka-Tofa, 17
Sports: Rugby, sevens, rugby league and touch.
Highlights: Making the U18 Otago rugby team and the U17 Otago Māori rugby team, and being one of only three Otago players to be selected into the New Zealand U18 Māreikura rugby camp.
Training regime: Training five to six days a week across the different disciplines. This includes 4am strength and conditioning sessions.
Dream: To one day play alongside her auntie, Sosoli Talawadua (Hurricanes player), for the Black Ferns.
OTAGO BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL
William Tisdall, 16
Sport excelling in: Bull riding.
Highlight: Going to Australia with the New Zealand transtasman team and getting to compete over there.
Training regime: Getting on a drop barrel/stationary barrel to practise moves and technique, fitness training, and getting on live bulls at least once a month.
Dream: To win a New Zealand open bull title and make it to PBR America.
Isaac Adams, 18
Sports: Football and futsal.
Highlight: NZ Māori under-18 football international debut.
Training regime: Train daily for several different teams.
Dream: Become a professional player.
Christopher Christof, 17
Sport: Basketball.
Highlight: Playing for the Junior Tall Blacks in the U17 Oceania championships.
Training regime: Six basketball trainings and six gym sessions a week.
Dream: To play basketball for a living.
JOHN MCGLASHAN COLLEGE
Sebastian Ferro, 17
Sport: Athletics.
Highlights: New Zealand U20 100m bronze medallist and 200m finalist, Athletics Otago U20 best male athlete.
Training regime: Six days a week plus gym (strength and conditioning, powerlifting, plyometrics) under ANZ-accredited coach Brent Ward.
Dream: Attend the 2024 U20 world champs in Peru, represent New Zealand at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, and break the NZ 100m record.
Edmund Ferro, 16
Sport: Athletics.
Highlights: Otago secondary schools U16 100m and 200m silver medals, South Island U16 200m finalist.
Training regime: Four days per week plus gym (strength and conditioning) under coach Michael Moffitt.
Dream: Win NZ secondary schools medal, represent Otago at club nationals, represent New Zealand at the 2028 or 2032 Olympics.
MT ASPIRING COLLEGE
Fin Melville Ives, 17
Sport: Freeskiing.
Highlights: Finishing sixth at the FIS World Cup in Copper and Calgary, qualifying fourth in Mammoth, and finishing eighth in the overall World Cup standings for 2023.
Training regime: Four to five days on snow (Cardrona in our winter season, various northern hemisphere ski resorts in our summer) and four to five days gym/yoga/trampolining.
Dream: To go to the Olympics and other major events such as the X Games and World Cups. I also want to leave a mark on the sport for future generations by pushing the limits on what is thought possible.
Cam Melville Ives, 17
Sport: Snowboarding.
Highlight: Second at the world championships in Switzerland in 2022.
Training regime: Four to five days on snow (Cardrona in our winter season, various northern hemisphere ski resorts in our summer) and four to five days gym/yoga/trampolining.
Dream: To be the first snowboarder to win both the Olympic slopestyle and halfpipe.
Carter Guichard, 17
Sport: Cycling.
Highlight: Selection for the New Zealand U19 team to compete at the world championships in Glasgow in the junior road race.
Training regime: 15,000km since January, or about 500 hours spent on my bike with about 200,000m of elevation gain over that time. I ride two to three hours a day, six days a week, every week.
Dream: Ride in the Tour de France.
Lucia Georgalli, 16
Sport: Snowboarding.
Highlight: Winning junior world title.
Training regime: Four to five days on snow (Cardrona in our winter season, various northern hemisphere ski resorts in our summer) and four to five days in the gym.
Dream: To compete in the Olympics and the X Games and to win a gold medal.
EAST OTAGO HIGH SCHOOL
Abigail Paton, 18
Sport: Rugby.
Highlight: Otago U18 back-to-back South Island titles, selection for first U18 NZ Barbarians girls team.
Training regime: In season, gym 2-3 times a week, two interval sessions, aerobic session/run 4-5 times, skills and field session four times.
Dream: Represent the Black Ferns and play Super Rugby Aupiki.
