Te Tai Rāwhiti paddlers at this week’s Waka Ama Sprints National competition at Lake Karāpiro are honouring the legacy and aspirations of the late Kiwi Campbell.
Campbell, a world and national championship-winning coach and paddler, passed away in November last year. Te Tai Rāwhiti paddlers stayed off the Gisborne waters as a mark of respect for her and her club, Horouta.
Oliver Smith, Chairman of Gisborne-based club Te Uranga O Te Rā, says Kiwi was the most important paddler in Te Tai Rāwhiti. Out of respect for her and her whānau, their club has withdrawn from the one-man event at this week’s national competition.
Smith says as a waka ama community, it is their responsibility to uphold her legacy by maintaining the high standards she set for herself and her fellow paddlers.
“You know, she just wanted the best, and she expected the best, and she never gave up. So it would be unjust of us to do that, to give up. What did she do all of this for, if not for that? Yeah,” says Smith.
Today is the fourth racing day with the adults, with the tournament wrapping up on Saturday.
