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Top EIT researcher wins award from international organisation | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

7 mins ago

EIT Associate Professor Pii-Tuulia Nikula, has been awarded a prestigious Associate Editor of the Year award.

A top EIT researcher, Associate Professor Pii-Tuulia Nikula, has been awarded a prestigious Associate Editor of the Year award by the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA).

Pii-Tuulia is well known for her research on management, policy, and sustainability issues in international education, higher education, and the private sector.

Last year she co-edited two books – Student Recruitment Agents in International Higher Education and Sustainable Education Abroad: Striving for Change.

Pii-Tuulia is also an active peer-reviewer and holds editorial roles in international journals. She has contributed to the work of Higher Education Research and Development since 2019, initially as part of the College of Reviewers, and then, as an Associate Editor from 2020 onwards.

The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia announced last month that Pii-Tuulia is one of two recipients of the Associate Editor of the Year Award for 2023. The other winner was Sylvie Lomer of the University of Manchester in the UK.

The award was established to recognise the outstanding contribution made by the Associate Editors of HERD. Contributions of associate editors are assessed according to the following criteria: Timeliness, Commitment, Decision making, Quality of communication with authors and with the HERD editorial team.

Pii-Tuulia said that she was honoured to be recognised for her work by such an esteemed organisation.

“Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with numerous HERD authors, reviewers, and editorial board members, all passionate about making contributions to the field of higher education.”

“I am pleased to be able to play a role in ensuring these articles are published and contributing to the continuing success of HERD as a leading academic forum that informs and challenges researchers, administrators, and policy-makers concerned with the past, present and future of higher education.”

At EIT, Pii-Tuulia teaches courses in sustainable organisations and research methods.

Gareth Allison, EIT’s Head of the School of Business, congratulated Pii-Tuulia on the award.

“Pii-Tuulia is one of our most prolific and active researchers and this award is a testament to the high regard with which she is held in the industry.”

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EIT offers study opportunities with Year 13 Scholarships | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

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6 mins ago

The Year 13 Scholarship, which is offered annually by EIT, covers one year of tuition fees.

EIT is once again offering students (ākonga) in their last year of school the opportunity to apply for a limited number of Year-13 scholarships to study their chosen career.

The Year 13 Scholarship, which is offered annually by EIT, covers one year of tuition fees.

The Scholarship supports school leavers across the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions to study any one of EIT’s degrees or selected level 5  diploma programmes that lead into a degree by providing one year FREE study. Students who live outside the region may be eligible for the scholarship in some programmes that are available nationwide.

EIT Liaison Advisor MacKenzie Ninomiya says the scholarship offers school students in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti the opportunity to remain at home and study what they are interested in.

“Some of our students are still surprised that they can study a degree locally. We’ve got some really specialised degrees which are well-renowned across the country.”

“Examples of this are our Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine Science; our Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts, which is based at Toihoukura in Tairāwhiti; or our Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing.”

“We’ve got some degrees that are open to students nationwide, but primarily we want to focus on our Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti students to keep them local.”

MacKenzie says that not only is it cheaper for students, because they can live at home, but they also have the wraparound support from whānau, which helps them succeed. They also benefit from a lower student loan at the end of the degree.

Applications close on 27 September and more information can be found at https://www.eit.ac.nz/students/year13scholarship/. To register interest in the Year 13 Scholarship email yr13@eit.ac.nz.

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EIT student wins best female filmmaker at VF48 regional final | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

1 day ago

EIT Bachelor of Creative Practice (Screen Production) student Kayla Tepania won Wift Best Female Filmmaker at this year’s Vista Foundation 48Hours Gisborne Final.

EIT Bachelor of Creative Practice (Screen Production) student Kayla Tepania has been recognised for her work on the big screen at this year’s Vista Foundation 48Hours Gisborne Final.

Kayla (Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Tainui) says she entered the competition this year to redeem herself following an attempt in her first year of study, but did not expect to win the Wift Best Female/Gender Diverse Filmmaker at the regional finals.  

Her team HaReKa Films and their film ‘What Remains’ was also selected as a finalist, and nominated for best director, best script, best editing, best use of genre, best use of element 2 (a traveller or neighbour) and best use of element 4 (an exit).

“For me, it’s quite a big award. Just being recognised in that field is quite incredible, particularly given that the people who judged the category are acclaimed industry professionals. So, it really is validation for me,” Kayla says.

“I couldn’t have done it without the team. It just makes me feel proud to be representing the region. So, I just feel very proud and shocked at the same time.”

The Vista Foundation 48Hours is the country’s largest guerrilla filmmaking competition where filmmakers have just one weekend to make a short film. As part of the requirements, they must also include some random elements.

This year, her genre was animal adventure film. While it is largely left up to their own imagination, they had to include a traveller or neighbour, an exit and a warning.

“For us, it’s finding out what we can do with the region. In our film, we have a dog who is travelling from one destination to another, and we took footage from all around Napier and Taradale. Because what we want to do as well is highlight the region for filmmaking specifically.”

The 27-year-old was a producer and co-director alongside Harry Lawson and Regan Bailey.

“I’m so proud of everybody and what we put out. There could be tweaks to it for sure but for what we did in the time we did it in, we’re so happy.”

Kayla, originally from Waiouru, grew up wanting to be an actor.  

“I’ve always loved film and TV. I can recall as a child that my parents only let me watch documentaries and films. So, when I was in Auckland during my youth, I signed up with an agency thinking I wanted to be an actor. But I’m not an actor, I don’t have what it takes.

“So, I put that aside and thought well film isn’t for me, thinking that acting was the only part of it. And I moved to the states.”

It wasn’t until she returned to New Zealand, that she decided to apply for jobs in the film industry, and soon found herself enrolled at EIT.

“It was basically one of the directors that told me about EIT. I’ve always had a passion for film, but I didn’t realise until about three years ago that I was going to be on this side of it.”

Now, in her final year of the degree, Kayla can proudly say she has found her passion.

“Every single job that I do, I’m passionate about and I love it. And actually studying it and learning how to use the gear and do all the practical learning has just helped so much.”

She says the culture at EIT is supportive and focuses on bettering students.

“You can tell that they care about the students and that they want to better the students. They’re extremely supportive, especially with the 48 hours because we were given permission to use all the screen production gear and use the building as a home base to come up with the ideas.”

The awards and nominations they received have fuelled them to aim to do even better next year.

“I’m so excited for next year. We’ve already learned so much, even just from this year’s competition, so as the years go on, it’s just going to get better and better for us hopefully.”

EIT IDEAschool Lecturer Wayne Dobson says: “Kayla’s involvement with the VF48 began in her first year of study when she joined fellow students and recent graduates to compete.

“Two years on she was a driving force behind this year’s entry, which received award nominations in multiple categories. The skills acquired during her studies and the collaborative nature of the programme have contributed to her success in this competition and locally as an emerging film maker.”

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EIT delegation visits China for meetings and graduation of first cohort of Data Science and Communications programme | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

5 mins ago

An EIT delegation has paid a visit to China to hold meetings with its partner Zhejiang Yuexiu University and to attend the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communications College of ZYU students, who started in 2020.

An EIT delegation has just returned from China where it held joint management, teaching and academic meetings to further a partnership with Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages (ZYU); and attending the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communications College of Zhejiang Yuexiu University students.

The joint International College partnership between EIT and ZYU began in 2020. That first year saw 230 students starting on the campus in Shao Xing City, Zhejiang Province, Southeast China.

Approval from the China Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) paved the way for EIT to deliver its degree programmes in China. The joint venture supports the delivery of two of EIT’s degrees, the Bachelor of Creative Practice and the Bachelor of Computing Systems and , with three majors offered in Information Systems, Intelligent Systems and Digital Media.

The delegation that went to China last month was Philippa Jones, EIT Executive Director International; EIT’s two Executive Deans John West and Helen Ryan-Stewart; and Sue Blackmore, Head of School, Viticulture and Wine Science & IDEAschool. The delegation was joined in China by  Kaylie Tan, Deputy Dean, EIT Data Science and Communications College, China.

The purpose of the visit was twofold – holding joint management, teaching and academic meetings to further the partnership; and attending the very first graduation ceremony of EIT Data Science and Communications College of Zhejiang Yuexiu University students, who started in 2020.

More than 200 students graduated, 56 with an EIT Bachelor Degree in either Bachelor of Computing Systems or Bachelor of Creative Practice, while the other students graduated with the ZYU qualification.

The event was livestreamed across China and received more than 560,000 views. Graduating as top student in their degrees were Ming Tong HU – Bachelor of Computing Systems (Information Systems); Bin GUAN – Bachelor of Computing Systems (Intelligent Systems); and Lequn XU – Bachelor of Creative Practice.

A celebratory dinner for the delegation was hosted by President Gang Xiu, his Executive Vice President Ms Xiaolin WEI; his Vice Presidents (Academic) Mr Wentao Chen, and Vice President (International) Ms Jinling Ge.

The delegation also met with a number of directors and managers of ZYU and EIT Data Science and Communication College. There was also visit to Qi LU University and a meeting with seven institutions as part of the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange (CCIPE).

A group of eight ZYU staff will be visiting EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus from July for five weeks as part of a 12-week training programme delivered to upskill ZYU staff both in China and in NZ. A group of 18 ZYU students and a teacher will come on a study tour to EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus in August for two weeks.

Philippa Jones says that the visit was a success as it built on the solid relationship that EIT has with ZYU and also showcased the hard work that had gone into the first graduation.

“We look forward to many more graduations as we continue to see the EIT Data Science and Communications College grow. This is a milestone in our partnership because it is the very first graduation from our ZYU joint education institute partnership.”

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EIT’s new Pouarahi Māori brings passion for mātauranga Māori to role | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

3 mins ago

EIT’s new Pouarahi Māori (Executive Director Māori), Layelin Stewart, with his wife Stella.

EIT has a new Pouarahi Māori (Executive Director Māori), Layelin Stewart, who brings a passion for Mātauranga Māori to the role.

Layelin (Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Maniapoto) was welcomed to EIT at a pōwhiri on the Hawke’s Bay Campus yesterday (Monday). He has been one of eight National Ako Directors at Te Pūkenga, responsible for Mātauranga Māori, since April last year.

Layelin says  that he is pleased to be coming back to his East Coast roots.

“One of the really standout things for me when considering my application to the role was how vibrant the mātauranga Māori community is over there on the East Coast and Hawke’s Bay.”

“I think it’s a role of service to supporting and promoting  success for Māori students and  staff, as well as navigating the way in which EIT might support iwi aspirations.”

“Of equal importance is supporting our organisational understanding of Te Tiriti excellence and how we explore what that might look like. It is also about how I serve and support my fellow executive staff members, colleagues, and our broader EIT staff collectives , in their understanding of tikanga Māori and how mātauranga Māori or Māori ways of being, doing and knowing might serve as a bridge towards nationhood, albeit at the EIT local level.”

Layelin, 45, first came to Te Pūkenga as Senior Māori Advisor in the office of the Deputy Chief Executive of Academic Delivery Innovation. Before that he was involved in Māori education for more than 20 years.

His most recent role before Te Pūkenga was as Deputy Principal at Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o te Aroha in Te Awamutu from 2017 to Oct 2021. His career has seen him work as Kaiako in Kura Kaupapa Māori, Kura ā-iwi and Wharekura in Gisborne and Waikato, including his hometown of Te Kuiti.

He also had a stint as a radio broadcaster for Iwi Radio Station Te Reo Irirangi o Maniapoto between 2006 and 2009.

Layelin has whakapapa links to Te Kūiti, Ruatoki and Gisborne, but grew up in Gisborne, where he attended Gisborne Boys High, before finishing his last year at Te Awamutu College. He enjoys the outdoor life and spending time with his wife Stella and their blended family of six children and 2 mokopuna.

EIT’s Executive Director Kieran Hewitson welcomed Layelin, saying that he would add value to the Executive Team.

“We are pleased to have Layelin join the Executive team. Layelin brings insights and experience to this role that will advance our relationships with our Tiriti Partners and set the strategic direction for responding to the opportunities to deliver better outcomes for Māori.”

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EIT pilot study into vaping among students extended beyond Hawke’s Bay | EIT Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

4 seconds ago

Left to Right: Melody Khan (Masters Student), Dr Sue Scott-Chapman (Secondary Supervisor), Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing (Principal Supervisor/Lead Researcher) and Associate Professor Rachel Forrest (Student Mentor).

An EIT research project addressing the epidemic of youth vaping among intermediate and high school students in Hawke’s Bay has been extended outside of the region following interest from a Bay of Plenty High School.

The extended out-of-region study titled ‘Vaping Landscape’ complements an existing study ‘Scoping solutions to address the epidemic of youth vaping in Aotearoa’ which is currently being conducted by a team led by Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing from EIT.

Vaping Landscape will focus on Pāpāmoa College and is being conducted by EIT Masters of Health Science student Melody Khan, who has been involved in the original study.

It is funded by a second grant from the Health Research Foundation Hawke’s Bay, which adds to the pool of funding for the project including grants from the Health Research Council and EIT.

Both studies hope to capture the stories, experiences and health awareness of e-cigarette vaping by youth. It will also make for a comparison of regional variations in vaping behaviours.

Anita says it will be the first comprehensive investigation into vaping among intermediate and high school students between two areas in New Zealand.

“We are working with a number of schools across Hawke’s Bay and additional funding has enabled the involvement of out-of-region schools.

“Pāpāmoa College approached us to say that they were experiencing issues to do with vaping in their school and that they would like to be a part of our study. After confirming the feasibility, obtaining the necessary ethics approval, and securing funding for an out-of-region school, we included them to conduct comparative studies.”

The college has more than 1700 students, of whom 28 percent are Māori and six percent are Pasifika.

 “Previous data indicated higher vaping rates among Māori and Pacific students compared to their non-Māori and non-Pacific peers. Therefore, we aim to compare the vaping behaviours in this school with those in Hawke’s Bay.”

Anita hypothesises that there may be regional differences between vaping behaviours in youth with distinctions in narrative of experiences and self-awareness.

Melody previously graduated with a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at EIT. After being displaced due to Cyclone Gabrielle, she was able to pivot and extend this study for her masters.

“Initially I started with nutrition. My original masters thesis was nutrition and nutritional labelling, but when this opportunity opened up, I jumped on it because it’s something that’s going to need further research and is becoming more prevalent.”

Pāpāmoa College Deputy Principal (Tumuaki Katiriwā) Ben Ormsby says when they heard about the study, they thought why not reach out and see if they could be a part of it.

“Like most schools, we have been seeing an increase in vaping related incidents. Our rationale was that, while we are trying to find ways to educate students, we might as well volunteer to be part of the study.”

Ben says that the feedback from their community has been really positive about them being involved in the trial.

“We would suspect that whilst schools are struggling with youth vaping, the wider community is also seeing the impacts. The feedback to date would suggest the community is glad we are trying to do something about it.”

They are now looking forward to seeing what comes out of the study.

“If the information our students give forward contributes to something positive to tackle youth vaping, whether that be strategies or messaging then we thought it will be well worth it.”

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EIT says farewell to long-standing research director | EIT Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

14 mins ago

EIT is farewelling its Research Director Associate Professor Jonathan Sibley.

EIT has farewelled its long-standing Research Director, Associate Professor Jonathan Sibley, who has been at the forefront of driving research at the institute.

Jonathan, who joined EIT’s School of Business in 2016 and has headed EIT’s Research and Innovation Centre (RIC) since 2018, is retiring from the role to pursue other interests.

Together with former Executive Dean Natalie Waran, he led the push towards increasing grants for researchers at EIT and encouraging them to participate in the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) process.

Jonathan says that a strong research culture was built at EIT under the direction of former Chief Executive Chris Collins.

“Chris, along with the then Executive Deans Susan Jacobs, Natalie and Professors Bob Marshall and Kay Morris Matthews, ensured that we were very research active in the ITP sector.”

“We built an enviable position for regional polytechnics in research and were able to establish a research centre with Te Kura i Awarua, to engage in research as a principle. Great thanks are owed to Professors David Tipene Leach and Annemarie Gillies for their leadership in the development of the Centre and our rangahau Māori capability.”

Jonathan says despite challenging times during COVID-19 and Cyclone Gabrielle, research has continued.

“We built a really strong, nationally recognised research culture with a number of researchers who had an international reputation.”

“As we move back to independence, we have an excellent platform for further developing our research culture.”

“EIT can also be proud that it hosts the largest number of international postgraduate students among New Zealand polytechnics,” says Jonathan, who also teaches and supervises students in the postgraduate business programmes.

EIT’s Executive Dean, Faculty of Commerce and Technology John West paid tribute to Jonathan for his professionalism and research leadership.

“Jonathan has led the evolution of the School of Business’ postgraduate studies. He has also played an important role in fostering research and mentoring our researchers.”

“We thank him for everything that he has contributed and wish him well in the future.”

Jonathan will continue teaching in the School of Business’ postgraduate programme on a part-time basis.

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Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills meets with regional leaders at EIT | EIT Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

8 mins ago

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst (left), Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds and Executive Director Region 2 – Te Pūkenga Kieran Hewitson at the EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale.

Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds met with regional government, business and community leaders at the EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale on Wednesday (3 July).

The purpose of the meeting was to hear what the region needed from EIT and to better understand the challenges the region faced.

Minister Simmonds has had a long association with EIT, having previously worked as Chief Executive of Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) for 23 years.

She says EIT has been a successful polytechnic all the way through, and has always had close connections with the community, and industries.

“EIT has been a real shining light in the polytechnic sector, particularly for regional polytechnics. There has been stable, sensible governance and management for not twenty years but decades.”

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said: “We told the Minister that we have been very proud of how EIT has served our regions of Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay over the years, providing quality education pathways under a sustainable financial model”.

“Our region has long faced challenges in reducing the number of youth not in employment, education or training, and the progress we have made has been in part due to the broad range of quality programmes on offer through EIT and their campuses.

“The transition to Te Pūkenga has been very difficult for the leadership and governance team, compounded by the cyclone from which the Taradale campus is still recovering.”

As a region, Hazlehurst says our councils will invest $4b over the next 10 years on infrastructure related to recovery and growth.

“More than ever, we will need a skilled workforce to complete this mahi, and many of these workers are yet to be trained.

They also stressed to Minister Simmonds that given the urgency of our recovery, Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay should be a priority to get a locally governed and led training institute working effectively for our communities.

The ministers visit precedes the start of consultation on the future state of vocational education and training following the post-election decision to disestablish Te Pūkenga. Minister Simmonds encouraged those in attendance to provide feedback to the consultation to ensure the regions education and training needs are best served.

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Napier auto technician completes EIT EV programme to keep up with fast evolving industry | EIT Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

5 days ago

Scott Kyle, an auto-technician with the Notman Motor Group in Napier, has benefited from doing the NZ Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5) at EIT.

A Napier auto technician decided to complete an Electric Vehicle programme at EIT as he felt he needed to keep up with an ever-evolving industry.

Scott Kyle, who works for the Notman Motor Group in Napier, has been an auto technician for close to 25 years. He says that he has seen changes in the industry in that time, the most significant being the move to electric vehicles.

“It’s certainly a new style of vehicle to work on, with some big differences. It is not only the motor side of things, but also the systems that run alongside them.”

“I definitely enjoy it as the electrical aspect certainly appealed to me.”

Scott says that he realised that he needed to study further in order to keep up with industry changes.

He said that he was attracted to the NZ Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5)  at EIT because he had done his pre-trade qualifications at EIT and he had heard good reports about one of the tutors Scott Cunningham.

“My employer helped me with funding to do the programme, which was a bonus, but you’ve got to keep up with the times and keep learning.”

“Working on electric vehicles every day means that you need to have a solid understanding of what you are working with.”

Scott, who completed the programme at the end of last year, says that attending classes fitted in well with his working schedule. He said he also enjoyed doing the practical block courses during the year.

“They go right back to step one of what you would need to know, you know, the basic electrical principles and then build that up slowly all the way through so you’ve got a really good understanding and a refresher of some of the stuff you probably haven’t looked at for a few years with electrics.”

“The best thing for me was that I went from where we had all these electric cars coming in and feeling that I did not have a full understanding of how all those systems worked, to feeling a confidence in working with them when I finished the programme.”

Scott says that another important part of the programme was learning about the safety aspect of electric vehicles.

He says that he has no hesitation in recommending the EIT programme to anyone who wanted to progress further as an auto-technician.

Automotive Tutor and Level 5 Electric Vehicle Programme Coordinator Scott Cunningham says having technicians like Scott step up to further their knowledge in our ever-changing industry is great to see.

“Electric and hybrid vehicles are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Technicians who are great in their field need to adapt and upskill to be able to safely diagnose and understand this emerging technology. Scott is definitely a student that absolutely exceled in this programme, now putting his newly gained knowledge to use in industry.

“Having developed a year long, part-time programme in conjunction with Otago Polytechnic, we have spent the past four years delivering this programme, adding content and resources each year to keep up with technology. Having our programme gain overseas recognition from America, wishing to implement our programme and training there speaks volume.

“We have even tailored our delivery to meet the demands for students in Rarotonga that have had an influx of EVs on the Island, and have realised they will have to upskill to meet the new demand. If you are considering upskilling in this area like Scott, I highly recommend you get onboard.”

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EIT ultramarathon runner takes fundraising mission to notorious Death Valley | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

14 seconds ago

EIT tutor Andrew McCrory will run the notorious Death Valley in the United States to raise funds for children with Cerebral Palsy.

In doing so, the 50-year-old Services Pathway Tutor at EIT, and Hawke’s Bay reserve soldier will become just the sixth New Zealander to complete the world’s toughest footrace – the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon – across Death Valley in the USA.

The 135 mile (217km) race has to be completed within 48 hours and entry for the 100 runners is by invitation only.

Andrew has long had the dream to compete at Badwater. Since 2017, when he came across the fundraising page of a young girl named Liv, he has raised thousands and helped 10 children needing Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy Surgery (SDRS) in America.

SDRS is a spinal operation that can give children with cerebral palsy greater walking ability, muscle control and improved balance. Liv’s surgery was $150,000 and wasn’t covered by any government funding.

“It means a lot to me. I’ve seen the difference in the kids from before they’ve gone, to when they’ve come back. They’re more active and they can just do the day-to-day things that we take for granted a whole lot easier after the surgery.”

The road to selection was extensive, with an application that has strict qualifying requirements, and requires extensive details about a runner’s racing history and personal life. They are then selected to run in July of that year via a live Facebook announcement.

The only qualifying race in New Zealand is the Northburn 100 in Cromwell, which Andrew completed last year. He has also completed five ultra marathons over 100 miles, and ran the length of New Zealand – 2,060km – over Christmas and New Year 2021/2022.

“They’ve had people that have applied six, seven years in a row and never got in. And they’ve done far more than I have. But I think for me, why I was selected for one is because I’m from New Zealand and I’m only the sixth Kiwi to ever go and do it.

“And I think with all the fundraising, I’m not out there just collecting medals or ribbons or race numbers like a lot of people do. There’s no ego in it. I’m out there running for a good reason; helping kids.”

Andrew admits he is “pretty excited, but pretty nervous at the same time” ahead of the July 22-24 race.

“I just want to get over there and get it done but at the same time, it’s a lot of kilometres. It really is the heat that I’m sort of worried about. You know I’ve never been at 50 degrees before.”

The past four years has seen Andrew running consistently at the 162km (100 mile) distance.

“I’ve sort of bumped it up since February when I got accepted.”

His training has also consisted of using the Sports Science Lab at the at the EIT Institute of Sport and Health (EIT ISH) where he can run in a hot environment.

“It’s just about getting used to being in the heat and being uncomfortable. Building that mindset because I really hate being on a treadmill. It’s doing things that suck I suppose.”

He is bringing his wife Kathleen, a trained nurse, coach Neil Wagstaff, who crewed at the event in 2008 for Kiwi Lisa Tamati, along with two other mates.

Andrew is thankful to everyone for the support he has received.

EIT has gotten on board as a bronze sponsor, and several community fundraisers have been set up in his honour.

“A huge thank you to everyone that’s come out and supported me. I can’t afford to go and do it by myself. We don’t have that sort of money, and everyone’s just got on board. I’ve had donations coming in left, right and centre which is just amazing. We’ve got some really good sponsors on board as well.”  

For more information and to donate, visit https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/running-badwater-135-for-kids-with-cerebral-palsy