Sarah Gunn

A LOVE of the outdoors has been bred into Sarah Gunn, whose family has run Coal Creek Station — better known as Stonehaven — for five generations.

While farming is also in her blood, Sarah is planning on taking her passion in a different route.

The talented athlete, despite being only about 163cm tall, plays at goal defence in netball.

‘‘I’m bouncing, constantly; my vertical jumps have improved; I’m flying at the moment.’’

Sarah was the undefeated Central Otago junior girls’ crosscountry champion for five years.

She hopes to transition into multisport endurance racing and ‘‘maybe run around more hills’’ once she relocates to Wanaka next year.

There, she plans to complete Otago Polytechnic’s outdoor education adventure course, a passion ignited during a weeklong Lions Youth Leadership course run by Adventure Southland in Fiordland last year.

‘‘It was so fun — I was in my element [and] buzzing for the whole week, so I knew this lights my fire.’’

Longer term, however, she is not sure if she wants to have a career as an outdoor instructor, or one in photography and filmmaking ‘‘and do outdoor adventure as a side hustle’’.

She is also looking to have a break from netball, having this year made the Central Otago and Upper Clutha under18 netball team, competing at the nationals in Christchurch, but may return to that, socially. ‘‘I’m a bit short [for netball]. ‘‘Maybe I’ll stick to something that short people can go far in,’’ she said with a laugh.

Achievements: Central Otago representative netball team (201622); Sticks’n’Stones committee member (201822); netball coach (202021); school choir (201821); undefeated Central Otago junior girls’ crosscountry champion (201519); jazz dance (200918); head pupil, house leader, Central Otago and Upper Clutha under18 netball team (2022); excellence endorsement NCEA level 2; Roxburgh Area School overall best allround performance; South Island volleyball team; New Zealand Area School netball; New Zealand ki o rahi team (2021).

Role model: Her mother, Leda Gunn, who lives with multiple sclerosis and ‘‘just keeps on chugging’’ without complaint. Plans for the future: Inspiring others to connect with the outdoors and nature; motivating people to live their best lives.