Apollo Projects are assisting Hornby High School financially and thus enabling our students to participate in sport to the highest level. This week we have the interview with Amber Hawkes.

Firstly congratulations on making Hornby High School Athletics Team Amber.

How did that make you feel, when you qualified for the South Island Athletics?

When I received the email about qualifying for the South Island Athletics I was confused because I was just a fill-in for the under-16 relay team during the finals but my teacher explained that since I ran in the qualifying relay he thought it would be best for me to have first pick whether I wanted to compete or not. I felt excited that I was able to be on the relay team and compete again. I then received another email saying I was able to attend the triple jump which I was shocked about since I came 8th in Canterbury but I was keen to compete and was excited because I enjoy triple jump.

Can you share with us your experience competing at South Island?

Competing at the South Island athletics was exciting and nerve-racking. I knew I wasn’t going to do good compared to the other competitors doing triple jump but I was just hoping to achieve a personal best. Watching the other girls doing their practice jumps I walked over to my brother and said “I'm gonna get smashed”. My first jump went ok but I didn't stick around to hear my result because I thought it was going to be bad. I mucked up my 2nd and 3rd jumps, unfortunately. After hanging around to find out the results for the top 8 I left disappointed in myself because I thought I did badly. Later that day I went onto athletics live and found out I jumped a personal best of 8.11m which made me feel better. On Sunday, our final day, I competed in the under-16 girls' relay, I was quite nervous waiting for the relay to start but I felt relieved once I had finished my run. I felt like my baton changes were good and I tried my hardest during the relay so I was happy. Although my team came 2nd to last I felt like I competed well. I appreciated my teachers supporting me while I was competing.

What does it mean to you representing Hornby High School at the South Island Regionals and why?

Representing Hornby High at the South Island means a lot to me because I am grateful that I was even able to attend the Athletics competition. Representing my school is an honor because not everyone has these opportunities so I am proud of myself for qualifying/competing.

How long have you done Athletics for? How many times a week do you train?

This is my first year competing in athletics. At the beginning of the year, I decided I wanted to get into athletics so I tried hard in the school athletics day to try and qualify. I trained for athletics during my PE lessons so I trained 3-4 times a week.

How has Apollo Projects helped you?

Apollo projects have helped me by providing funds so I could attend the Athletics in Timaru. The cost was to cover the cost of travel, food, and other sporting expenses.

Describe yourself in 3 words?

I would describe myself as hardworking, creative, and kind.

Who are your biggest supporters and why?

My biggest supporters would be my parents and my teachers. My parents always support me and provide me with whatever I need when competing in sports and other things. They always try to make an effort to watch me compete and support me. My teachers have been supporting me this year during the beginning of my athletics journey and helping me with my athletics and helping me improve. I am very grateful for my parents and teacher supporting me.

What advice would you give other young Athletes out there thinking about doing Athletics?

Don’t worry about what others are doing, just focus on yourself. When you first start competing you are competing against others who have been doing athletics for ages so you can’t compare yourself to them. Don’t focus on the place you get just try to get a personal best. You should start athletics because it’s a great environment and a fun sport.