Olympic ambassador aims to inspire
A two-time Olympian visited visited Matamata Intermediate on June 27.
Heelan Tompkins spoke to the school assembly as part of her role as an ambassador for the Olympic Games.
The Taranaki-born equestrian rider was one of eight Olympic ambassadors contracted to promote the Olympic values to New Zealand youth in schools.
The other inductees were Moss Burmester (swimming, Auckland), Melissa Ingram (swimming, Auckland), Sarah Cowley (athletics, Auckland), Dillon Boucher (basketball, Auckland), Pero Cameron (basketball, Wellington), Nicola Coles (rowing, Christchurch) and Aaron Orangi (bobsleigh, Christchurch).
The ambassador programme is funded by the New Zealand Community Trust.
‘‘The target audience is primary schools because research shows that around 11 or 12 is a good age to pass on the Olympic values to kids,’’ Tompkins said.
The eight schools around the Bay of Plenty and Taranaki she had spoken at all had a ‘‘different feel’’ to them.
‘‘I like classrooms speaking in rather than assemblies because it feels more comfy, more homely,’’ she said.
She both spoke in the school’s assembly and a classroom of lucky students, including some horse-lovers.
She said her aim was to strip away the glitz and glamour of the games and let students see that the sports stars she rubbed shoulders with at the Olympics in Athens in 2004 – like tennis star Roger Federer- and Bei- jing in 2008 were just normal, friendly people.
Despite being invited to a Duke’s cocktail party when she was competing at Badminton Horse Trials, Tompkins’ horse riding career had certainly not been very glamorous all the time.
It had actually at times been embarrassing. She recalled a video of her falling off into a water jump, and then constantly falling off trying to get back on her horse, being re-played over and over again at an American horse show.
When she went to her next show in the US, she was recognised by the MC because of the video.
She also managed to break both wrists and elbows in another horse riding accident.
Despite the difficulties, she hoped her efforts would inspire students to go for gold in their chosen sports.