Athletics mentor’s contribution noted
Athletics New Zealand recognises long involvement
Long-time supporter of all things athletics, Jill Waru, recently received her long service pin from Athletics New Zealand. It marks a love of athletic sport that started with high jumping over manuka poles into a sawdust pit at Kereru School as a child and has hit high points including being elected vice-president of the New Zealand Children’s Athletic Association in 1998 and then serving two years as president from 2000, when she was also selected to take a New Zealand team to the Pacific Games in Sydney.
Along the way Jill has attended every Colgate Games since its inception, managed interprovincial teams and done every officials and coaches course she could . . . upskilling every year.
Seven years ago she became an Agrade Athletics New Zealand official, the only one in Central Hawke’s Bay.
As a child at Kereru School Jill says there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to compete, given that the school roll was about 18 children.
“I can remember some of the fathers digging a high jump pit and filling it with sawdust, then putting some nails into manuka poles to make the jump. When I went from there to Iona College I was astounded at how many students there were. Iona College has a strong athletics tradition and I see a lot of their girls coming through the ranks. ”
At secondary school Jill excelled at athletics, becoming junior, then
intermediate, then senior champion. Moving on to teachers’ training college at Ardmore, she joined the track and field team, then as a teacher she coached athletics at Tolaga Bay, Waiuku and Greerton before taking time off to have a family.
A move to Central Hawke’s Bay and a teaching position at CHB College in 1987 started the momentum once again.
“I was asked “would you be interested in coming to athletics?’ and I said yes, joined Central Hawke’s Bay
Amateur Athletic Club and soon found myself the delegate to the HB Gisborne Children’s Athletics Committee.”
The passion for athletics was reignited. “The plan was to leave when my youngest child became too old to attend the Colgate Games. But the committee asked if I would stay.”
Jill stayed. She is now on the organising committee for the HB Gisborne Colgate Games 2025.
“It’s really exciting. We need to cater for 1300-1500 young athletes
aged 7-14, for three days. It’s huge but it’s a lot of fun. The Colgate Games are held every January, hosted by a different region each year. Jill says competing in the games, her children saw a lot of the country.
“Athletics has a lot to offer children. It covers the basic skills needed in every sport — running, jumping, throwing. If kids get the basics right they can apply them to whatever sport they choose. It’s also social — our CHB club is like a family, we get to know the parents and the children — and it adds activity and movement to what can so easily become a sedentary lifestyle in front of screens for too many children.”
The Central Hawke’s Bay Amateur Athletic Club has moved away from first, second and third placings and is placing more focus on personal bests, Jill says, and at the Athletics NZ AGM this month several more clubs told her they would start to take the same approach.
“With the old system only three
children achieved. With personal bests, everyone can achieve.”
Jill says while going through the grading process to become an official has been time-consuming, she has learned a lot and overall it’s a passion for the children, the sport and the camaraderie that keeps her involved. She has seen talented young athletes go on to achieve and worked with many like-minded colleagues both nationally and locally.
“My aim now is to be around for many more years to pass on my knowledge and experience to future athletes.”
■Central Hawke’s Bay Amateur Athletic Club meets in terms 1 and 4, every Wednesday from 5.30pm -7pm at Central Hawke’s Bay College Grounds off Svenson Rd. For details email chbathletics@gmail.com.
■The Central Hawke’s Bay Amateur Athletics Club AGM will be held at the CHB College gym, Svenson Rd, Waipukurau, on Wednesday, September 21, at 6pm.