Dunedin’s golden girl Erika Fairweather returned home this morning.
Fairweather, 20, arrived at Dunedin Airport — after a 17 hour flight from the World Aquatics Championships in Doha — to a moving kapa haka performance from her former school, Trinity College.
Fairweather previously joked she would pack her medals up and put them in the back of the closet - but had since had a change of heart and would display them for a little while, she said.
Erika Fairweather was welcomed home to Dunedin today after her stellar World Aquatic Championships in Doha, Qatar. Photo: Craig Baxter
The swimmer was given a lei before the haka and then hugged her former schoolmates, thanking them for her welcome.
She was then greeted with hugs and kisses from her family, friends and the local Otago swimming community.
But no one was more excited to see her than her dog, Patrick, a bearded collie, who bounded up to her as soon as he laid eyes on her outside.
Fairweather won gold in the women’s 400m freestyle at the prestigious meet last Monday.
She followed up by winning silver in the 200m freestyle, bronze in the 800m freestyle, and set a national record in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Pupils from Trinity College performed a kapa haka to welcome their former schoolmate. Photo: Craig Baxter
She qualified for the Paris Olympics in all four events and planned to get back in the pool for training this afternoon.
