Wainui School cyclists ride away with top Taupo prize

Members of the winning team, from left, Cian O’Brien, Caleb Waller, Reilly Irvine, Anneke Tinsel, Evie Alexander, Honoka Seino, Bojan Paladin, and Thomas Steen. Photo Jeremy Fourie. Right, In Taupo, the team collect the winners’ trophy.

Hard work, dedication, and perseverance have paid off for a group of nine Wainui School cyclists.
Their collective efforts at the recent Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge saw them ride the greatest combined total distance of all the entered groups and win the Schools Challenge Trophy.

The group comprised four Year 8, and five Year 7 students. Two of the group completed the Huka Teaser race – a 31km mountain bike loop that starts in Taupo, winds its way up to Aratiatia Dam and back again, following the picturesque tracks and trails alongside the meandering Waikato River.

Thirteen-year-old Thomas Steen performed very well in the race, achieving 10th place in the Male 18 & Under category in a time of 01:44:09.

Seven of the group rode in the Half the Lake race, which is a 75km road race starting at Kuratau School and ending in Taupo. Soon after the start, the riders faced Kurutau Hill, the second biggest hill climb in the race and after 52km of spectacular scenery and lake views, they had to overcome Hatepe Hill, the biggest hill climb. After that, it was 20km of peddling into headwinds before they reached Taupo.

The students began training for the Cycle Challenge about three months ago, mostly riding on the roads around Wainui School, which provide ideal conditions to prepare for the Taupo event. Accompanied by parents and sometimes siblings, the 7am Sunday morning group rides started at shorter distances and gradually built up over the weeks to a 60km ride that took approximately three hours.

In the early days of training, some riders needed to take a breather halfway up Weranui Hill, but towards the end, everyone in the group had developed sufficient strength and cardiovascular endurance to reach the top of the hill without stopping.

Wainui School has been taking students to the Lake Taupo event since 2013.

Deputy Principal Jason Irvine has seen how training for and competing in the has benefited the students. “We are always looking to extend the children’s library of experiences, and this event fits in well with that personal growth and development strategy for the kids,” Jason says.