Peter Miskimmin
This week, a sporting celebrity, Peter Miskimmin, was our guest speaker.
He is an icon in the world of international hockey, having played 150 tests for NZ over 12 years and appearing at two Olympic Games. He is also an old friend of Bryan Waddle, and the two were able to exchange embarrassing anecdotes.
Peter is now CEO of Sport New Zealand, which is an organisation funded by the government and has a wide and heavy brief.
Sport is a New Zealand passion, which makes Peter’s job both easier and harder. Easier, because it captures everyone’s attention. Harder, because everyone has a view and an axe to grind.
We are an extraordinarily successful sporting nation for our size, a fact which is not properly appreciated. We have had world champions in many sports, and participation is high. Sporting achievement is part of the kiwi identity.
Historically, the reasons are not hard to find. Children pay a lot of sport here, especially in rural areas, and we have sporting role models, and excellent coaches: world-class in many cases.
We are abreast of new technologies in eg cycling and yachting. We send our best athletes overseas to compete with the best, which can be relatively expensive. Covid-19 is making this more difficult.
There are downsides. Children now have inflated expectations, and success is measured too much in commercial terms. This is a disincentive to teamwork and the ‘fun’ side of sporting activity.
Sports clubs are struggling as the young are turning to individually based sport such as cycling, surfing, fitness, and even E-Sport. Organised, structured sport is a turn-off, it appears.
There is a strong connection between sport and the physical and mental health of the nation. Physical activity peaks at age 12, on average, and declines thereafter. It is markedly lower in deprived communities. This is a worry, and Sport NZ now has a focus on youth, and especially those in deprived areas.
Sport NZ has the difficult task of allocating its funds between these needs and its traditional support for elite and successful athletes.
A fascinating talk by one who is immersed in his role and is able to communicate it in fine style.
Say goodbye to tyre waste
About 40% of the 6.5 million tyres Kiwis use every year are recycled, repurposed, or used as tyre-derived fuel. But the rest end up in landfills, stockpiled or dumped.
The good news is now there’s an easy solution to all that tyre waste. It’s called Tyrewise and is New Zealand’s first national tyre recycling scheme.
Tyrewise ensures that tyres in Aotearoa New Zealand are recycled or repurposed properly, saving millions from going to the landfill.
Find out more about the scheme online.
Anzac Day
There are opportunities across the motu for the public to come together to mark Anzac Day this year.
National Anzac Day events include the Dawn Service at 6.00am and the National Commemorative Service at 11.00am (both at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, Wellington), and the Atatürk Memorial Service at 2.30pm in Strathmore, Wellington. The Dawn Service and National Commemorative Service will be broadcast live by TVNZ 1 and RNZ National.
For those wanting to join the Anzac Day parade at the Dawn Service, veterans are asked to assemble on Tasman Street by 5.30am.
The Atatürk Memorial Service in Strathmore will include a wreath-laying ceremony. A shuttle service will be running from Bowes Crescent carpark to the memorial site for anyone who may require assistance accessing the site.
For more information about Anzac Day, visit the Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage website or see the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park Facebook page.
To find out about events in your local community, visit the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association’s website or get in touch with your local council.
What's On: TALK - MAKING ENDS MEET
TALK - MAKING ENDS MEET
- Room 5, Johnsonville Community Centre
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