Max Cunninghame
WHETHER it be out in the wilderness or as a community organiser, Max Cunninghame always seems to know the right way forward.
The 17yearold has achieved success with orienteering and has spent their teenage years striving to help others.
When Max was about 5, their grandfather took them out into parks and forests and the pair would work out where they were.
Their love of orienteering grew from there and now Max’s skills are bringing success.
Orienteering involves a lot of focus and mental ability, along with the physical strength to keep up.
Each race can range from a couple of kilometres to about 10km.
They find it a nice mix of physical and mental ability that they enjoy.
It is a personal style of race race where you can not see what the other competitors are up to, so all you can do is worry about trying your best.
They participated on South Island teams and in national tournaments.
Max sees it as a bit of a long shot, but hopes to orienteer for a national level team one day.
Aside from orienteering, Max spends time as a Venturer, helping plan and lead outdoor activities.
It was a great way to learn new skills and build a community with likeminded people.
Max is also involved in community service, which started with Scouts where they worked on beach cleanups and conservation.
Most recently, Max served on the Dunedin Youth Council, on which they had helped make things like a multiday arts festival a reality this year.
Max established the school’s LGBTQ+ group, which meets on a regular basis to discuss issues and helps make the school a safer place for pupils.
They enjoyed helping out the community, but it was also a way to pay back kindness they had experienced when they were younger.
When Max was 9 they had brain surgery, and last year had knee surgery.
They spent a lot of time out of school and wanted to both make up for those lost opportunities and pay back the people who had supported them by creating new opportunities for them.