Dedication to sport, people
As prolific sports administrators, Terry Davis and Bill Godsall have been relentless champions for local sport in Central Otago. As the annual Cromwell Summer Series returns, Ada« B½˙Ã˛ talked to the Cromwell pair about what keeps them going.
IT is no hyperbole to label Terry Davis and Bill Godsall as sport workhorses. The Cromwell pair have built a lengthy resume over many years as competitors and event organisers.
Although Davis and Godsall bring different backgrounds to the table, the common ground they have is a shared dedication to sport and people.
They also occupy the same patch as event organisers within Cromwell’s Summer Series.
With a passion for event management of endurance sport, Davis (46) views competition and training as a great tool to develop essential life skills.
‘‘The event itself is just the cherry on top,’’ he said.
‘‘All the training to get there is what is really good for people.
‘‘If you have trained for an event for a long time and get that feeling of accomplishment, they can take that into other aspects of their life, whether it’s starting a business or raising kids.’’
However, comparing his wife’s first pregnancy to an adventure race had a mixed reception.
‘‘I thought it was just like an adventure race. She did not like that analogy.’’
After beginning his career in farming and tourism, Davis transitioned into sports events.
He has run Highland Events with Ed Stevens, of Wanaka, since 2008.
Meanwhile, Godsall (63) has a wealth of experience as an athlete and mentor.
He knocked off 50 marathons in his prime, before successfully reinventing himself as one of New
Zealand’s finest multisport exponents.
He has also been Sports Central coordinator for the past 17 years.
His numerous accomplishments have provided ample understanding into what is required preparing for endurance events.
Godsall said creating opportunities for others was of great importance to him.
‘‘It’s just my way of giving back.’’
‘‘A big component for me is seeing people out there achieving.’’
The rise of adventure racing and multisport in Central Otago has meant the pair have to manage a broader group of individuals.
Godsall has previously coached athletes through training and believes people occasionally disregard the brutal realities of endurance events such as the Coast to Coast and Challenge Wanaka.
‘‘I don’t think people realise what they are letting themselves in for sometimes,’’ he said.
‘‘There’s some really hard races out there that get all the glamour.
‘‘People want to do the hard races. If they have not done the leadup events, people tend to crash and burn.’’
One sport which prides itself on its broad appeal has been rogaining.
The orienteering code based on longdistance crosscountry navigation has experienced a rise in popularity in recent times.
Davis, who organises a handful of rogaine events each year, credits its growth locally as one of his biggest achievements.
Not only offering an introduction to the major principles of working in a team, Davis believed the sport was a ‘‘fantastic metaphor for life’’.
‘‘It’s great for kids. They come back with massive grins.’’
‘‘I once heard a woman talk about one of our rogaine events as one of the highest points of her life.’’
Having completed 13 Coast to Coasts and conquering three of his 11 Southern Traverse appearances within a winning team, Godsall’s personal deeds are many.
However, it is what he has done at grassroots level and as a coach of which he is most proud.
Over the course of a year, Godsall trained six women with little multisport experience for the 2013 Coast to Coast event.
‘‘To see them go from people who couldn’t really do anything to people who all finished well up the front in their age categories, and to see them grow in confidence, it was pretty rewarding.’’
As organiser of the Otago Primary School Triathlon Championships, Godsall has helped build participant numbers from 60 to 720 pupils.
The Cromwell Summer
Series continues after Christmas with the Bannockburn Mountain Biking Classic, the Lake Dunstan Triathlon and Duathlon and the Lake Dunstan Cycle Challenge to take place from December 30 to January 5.