Wakatipu High student Marley King Smith, who’s off today to row for New Zealand at the world under-19 champs in France, was farewelled by a full-school haka at the end of term two.
The 17-year-old, who’ll be in the third seat of the quad at Paris’ Vaires-sur-Marne, won the U18 single sculls at the national secondary schools Maadi Cup on Cambridge’s Lake Karapiro in April.
Following his selection for the team, he’s been intensively training with New Zealand’s elite rowers at Lake Karapiro, but returned for the school’s haka and waiata house competition late last month.
It’s been an amazing experience, he says.
‘‘The whole team feels really staunch and into it, and everyone’s just giving it their 100% each training session.
“It’s definitely a big step up in terms of just training load and probably expectations on us.”
The Wakatipu High deputy head boy has also launched a Givealitttle page which early this week had raised almost $11,000 towards the $12,000 cost of his campaign.
The U19 worlds run from August 2-6.
