Our brilliant Director of Sport, Miss Dayna Turnbull was nominated for Otago Sportswomen of the Year at the ASB Sports Awards. She was then chosen as one of three finalists and invited to attend the black tie evening held at the town hall last week.

A multi-talented athlete, captaining the top women's touch team in the country and a member of the Otago Goldrush women's basketball team, Miss Dayna Turnbull has accomplished lots in her short 25 years. Up against a tough field and competing in the same category as overall supreme award winner Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, Miss Turnbull said "It was awesome to be nominated but to be selected as a finalist was a real honour." Although our talented staff member did not win, she credits her parents, coaches, teammates and Columba College for all the support and encouragement she has received.  "Being able to captain my country in the sport I love and work to be a role model for the students at school is a dream come true. Our girls help me strive to be the best athlete I can by training harder, working smarter and aiming to inspire them to chase their goals and follow their passion, like what I have". Miss Turnbull runs an elite fitness class at Columba Marsh Sports Centre on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to pass on knowledge, experiences and techniques for students to be both physically and mentally ready to compete at whichever level they desire. Columba College old girl Ella Harris was also nominated as a finalist for the Junior Sports Woman of the Year.