2015 HNHS School Magazine | Page 49

Name: Annah McPherson Catalogue: Sports Sub-Catalogue: CrossFIT Year level:12 Achievements: Form class:RN 3rd place Brand X Teen Gauntlet - Ramona, California, USA 2015 1st place HB teen gauntlets October 2014 and February plus October 2015 1st place Central Districts powerlifting Oct 2014 and 2015 Currently in year 12, Annah McPherson has achieved success in CrossFit. Earlier this year, she travelled to Ramona, California in America, where she placed 3rd in the Brand X Teen Gauntlet. She has also placed 1st in the Central Districts powerlifting during October 2014 and 2015, as well as 1st place at the Hawke’s Bay teen gauntlets during October 2014 and February and October 2015. Next year, she hopes to take up Olympic lifting, as well as to qualify for the Teen CrossFit games. With all her success in CrossFit, she has only recently taken up the sport. “I started at a standard gym in March last year and joined teen CrossFit classes with some friends. I later found out about upcoming competitions and wanted to train for those. A year later I started at CrossFit First Light in Havelock North”. Annah trains approximately 5-6 times a week. When asked what motivates her to achieve success in CrossFit, she said it was the ‘want’ and drive to do better. “Each day there is an opportunity to improve or learn a new skill, getting stronger and hitting new P.B’s”. Her career highlight so far, she says has to be qualifying for America. “It has also been really great to see improvement in a wide range of other sports and being able to compete in CrossFit competitions alongside lifting comps”. Name: Georgia Hulls Catalogue: Sports Sub-Catalogue: Athletics Achievements: Year level:11 Form class:BR 10th in the World Youth (U18) Athletics Championships ­200m 14th in the World Youth (U18) Athletics Championships ­100m Current Oceania Junior (U20) Athletics 100m and 200m Champion, record holder Current NZ record holder for the 4 x 100m (U18) and 4 x 400m (U17) At just 16 years old, Georgia Hulls is dominating the Athletics scene. She was placed 10th in the World Youth (U18) Athletic Championships for 100m and 14th in the World Youth (U18) Athletic Championships for 200m. She is the current Oceania Junior (U20) Athletics 100m and 200m Champion and record holder and is the current NZ record holder for the 4 x 100m (U18) and 4 x 400m (U17), just to name a few. Her ambition in both the near and distant future sums her up; to run in the world Junior (U20) Athletics championships in 2016 and her relay team (NZU20) are aiming for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Georgia took up athletics at the age of 6, at Hastings AC and moved on to compete at Colgate Games from the age of seven. However, she says she did it for fun. “I only started training properly when I was 13”. She currently trains 6-7 times a week with one day off. When asked why she enjoys the sport, she said it was for a number of reasons. “At the end of the day, I enjoy running because I love the simplicity of the sport and the fact that the person who is the fastest on the day whether they are the favourite or the underdog wins”.