Kiwi youths show they still have right stuff

Mason, Arkle and Ridge are proof the ‘Can-do Kiwi’ still exists among our youth.

IN an age where an increasing number of youth are wrapping themselves in cotton wool and blobbing on the couch, it’s great to see some young Kiwis stretching their boundaries and having a crack.

Ngaruawahia-born speedway star Sean Mason is proof of that, tasting the thrills and spills of his sport in the UK.

Speedway riders have the motto: ‘‘No brakes, no gears, no fear.’’

Mason, 18, lived up to that maxim while flying the New Zealand flag at the Dutch round of the recent Speedway Youth World Championships.

He is also proof of the other side of the coin to taking risks – preparing yourself properly to make sure they are calculated risks and that you are as protected as possible.

Mason tells Sunday News today, P6, how he was able to walk away from a horror crash in Holland thanks to the aid of a protective air jacket.

Two high-profile It Girls are also putting their bodies – and looks – on the line for an upcoming fight night, P2.

Rosanna Arkle – star of The GC – will face-off against Jaime Ridge, subject of a proposed reality TV series herself, on the undercard of the KFC Godfather of All Fight Nights, in Auckland next month.

Like Mason, as well as pushing their boundaries, both are doing all they can to ensure they’re as well prepared as possible for their ring debuts.

In Ridge’s case, that includes enlisting former Warriors captain and boxer Monty Betham as her trainer.

Mason, Arkle and Ridge are proof the ‘‘Can-do Kiwi’’ still exists among our youth.