Teen goes to great lengths
Northland’s new king of the pool inspired by swim greats on the TV
Thirteen-year-old Te Paki is Northland’s latest swimming sensation after he broke his own national record at the age group championships in the male 100m backstroke this month.
The Pompallier Catholic College student clocked 1m 00.66s in the swimming finals of the Auckland Age Group competition on March 17.
He shaved a fraction of a second off the time he set at the age group championships in Hawke’s Bay on December 17.
“I didn’t expect to break my own record, but it feels pretty good,” Te Paki said of his win.
The young swimmer remembers “powering away” from his rivals during his return lap and beating his closest competition by about
2.5s.
His record-breaking performance was a proud moment for the swimmer — and his coach, Monica Cooper.
Cooper said her student’s win was no ordinary feat.
“In swimming, beating your opponents by such a margin is considered a big win.
“Usually, you’d be happy to beat someone by a few hundredths of a second in a close professional race.
“And he is only 13. So, he has a very bright future ahead.”
Cooper said her student’s drive was fuelled by his competitive nature and love for racing.
“He gets excited every time we have a training session which runs about eight times a week. He just wants to keep getting better at what he does.”
Te Paki enjoyed training with his coach and his team-mates, who constantly motivated him to become a better swimmer and a person.
He remembers taking up swimming when he was 9 after he developed a “love” for the sport.
“I used to watch a lot of swimming competitions on the television as a kid. Once I saw these swimmers swim hard and fast at the Olympics and I just remained amazed.
“Since then, I felt it’s something I want to do and my family — especially my nana — really supported me to pursue it.”
Te Paki dreams of representing New Zealand on an international stage such as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games.
But he believes in taking one step at a time and is channelling his focus and energy to give his best at the upcoming New Zealand age group championship next month in Napier.
"In swimming, beating your opponents by such a margin is considered a big win. Usually, you’d be happy to beat someone by a few hundredths of a second in a close professional race."
Te Paki’s coach, Monica Cooper