Hewitt supports rising athletes

"A lot of that money wouldn't have been spent if there wasn't a lot of delays to the project."

Kiwi triathlete Andrea Hewitt’s foundation for up-and-coming Kiwi athletes got off to a successful start last night with an auction raising $57,800.

The AH Foundation, named after Hewitt, will lend support to those who might otherwise not be able to afford the costs of multisport.

The competition bike Hewitt rode at the Rio Olympics last year was auctioned for $3200 and although sentimental in having to say goodbye to it, she naturally believed it was a great cause.

Hewitt had always wanted to create a foundation to support multisport, particularly triathlon. Her late fiance, Laurent Vidal, who died suddenly in 2015, was her inspiration.

‘‘I really want to help athletes and give them the opportunities I was given. The original inspiration to create a foundation was Laurent. He was originally passionate about creating a group to help young athletes.’’

The bike was a limited addition Cannondale, which only has one panel branded due to requirements of the Olympics.

Other features at the auction included a signed pair of rugby shorts and a jersey worn by former All Black captain Richie McCaw.

Hewitt had personally ‘‘chased’’ down McCaw and his wife Gemma down to get some of their gear, which she said was happily donated towards the cause.

Hewitt will head to France on Wednesday for the Grand Prix champs before picking up again in the ITU world series in Hamburg on July 15. She has had wins in Abu Dhabi and on the Gold Coast.

She has been training in Christchurch over the past two months, including winning the Christchurch half marathon. ‘‘After the start I have had, I have high hopes. I would love to win, I will just race as good as I can.’’

Hewitt has worked closely with Perpetual Guardian to set up the foundation with the aim of supporting athletes. PG donated $50,000 to kick start the foundation before the auction.

‘‘I’ve watched the number of young athletes coming into triathlon slowly decline over the years, particularly since I was at high school. I think this comes down to several factors, but the biggest ones would have to be cost, resources and training facilities.’’