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Waka Ama New Zealand World Sprint Elite Coaches 2016
Waka Ama New Zealand is excited to announce and congratulate the following coaches who have been appointed for the 2016 IVF World Elite Sprint Championship campaign
 | Mike NukuNational Sprint Coach – Elite Men Mike is the current coach for the NZ Master Mens R6 White Water Rafting Team. Mike has a vast range of coaching skills from Waka Ama to Rafting. Mike has coached senior men and womens teams at a local, regional and international level. Mike says “A proverb from my region that I like to embrace states, “Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini” which means “my successes are not an individual effort, but that of a collective. “ Mike hopes to continue to draw on the expertise available to assist the crew and himself as a coach succeed. |
 | Kiwi CampbellNational Sprint Coach – Elite Women Kiwi is the current coach for the Kaiarahi Toa Premier Womens Team. Kiwi has been coaching Waka Ama teams since 2001 and continues to paddle competitively as a solo paddler and as a member of Kaiarahi Toa. Kiwi's coaching achievements are exceptional in the Junior and Open Women divisions, gaining multiple national and world titles along the way. Kiwi says “I have always had strong sense of leadership and a solid work ethic and expect the same from my team”. Kiwi is a passionate coach and is looking forward to working with Waka Ama New Zealand to achieve a successful World Elite Sprints Campaign |
 | Paul RoozendaalNational Sprint Coach - Development Men (J19) Paul is the current Coach/Manager of Bhutty Boys based in Tauranga. Paul has experience not only in Waka Ama but rafting also. Paul has been paddling competitively since 1994 and has gained numerous national titles over that time. Paul sees this opportunity as “a great challenge to be part of the first ever IVF Elite World Sprint Championships”. In the last year Paul as has put a lot of effort into community based coaching and would like to put his skills into high performance coaching. |
 | Matahi BrightwellNational Sprint Coach - Development Women (J19) Matahi is currently the coach of J19/J16 girls/Premier women for Mareikura Canoe Club. Matahi has had 30 years’ experience coaching rangatahi and has found it not only rewarding but tough “one cannot deny that nothing replaces the hard yards”. Matahi wishes to see rangtahi realise their maximum potential as elite athletes and wants our culture to remain an integral part of the process. Matahi has had a raft of successful coaching achievements throughout his career, locally, regionally and internationally. |
