Caden Shields 2002 – 2006

Caden was a Prefect in 2006. While at King’s Caden had a very successful running career. He was the school 3000m champion, first in U16 Otago Cross Country championship, first in Otago Senior Boys Road Race championship, second in NZSS Road Race championships, first in Otago Senior Mens 10,000m championship. After leaving school Caden became the New Zealand Junior 10,000m champion 2007 – 2008.

He spent three years on a Health Science Scholarship at Purdue University in Indiana where he was a top runner and scholar. Caden was a distinguished scholar-athlete during his time at Purdue University – he gained a Batchelor of Science, in general Health Science concentrating in Physical Therapy. He was awarded a Distinguished Athlete Scholar Award issued by Purdue University Athletic Department in May 2011. He was in the top 50 students in the nation and was named an Academic All-American. He was also in the top 20 in the country with his running. Caden qualified for the NCAA division one Cross Country championships in 2009, the first male athlete from the University in 22 years to do so.

On returning to Dunedin, he studied for the Otago Bachelor of Physiotherapy Degree. A prestigious four-year programme, it is positioned at the cutting edge of Physiotherapy education and it is internationally renowned for excellence, because its graduates are the best prepared for the profession. At the University Graduation Prizegiving, Caden was awarded six prizes including the premier one – the University Bookshop 'Best All-Round Student in the Bachelor of Physiotherapy Programme'. He also had success in 10,000m winning the national title in 2013.

He worked for Physio Performance Ltd in Dunedin from 2015 to December 2017, then Sports Med Canterbury from 2018 to March 2020. During his time at Sports Med Caden also spent some time in 2018 living in Melbourne before he moved back to New Zealand early in 2019. In February he regained the New Zealand 10,000m title in Auckland after a six-year gap. 

Caden Shields was added to the 2019 New Zealand team to compete at the IAAF World championships. He qualified for the Marathon on the Gold Coast in his first attempt at the distance in July 2019. Caden finished in 30th place in the men's Marathon at the 2019 World Athletics championships held in Doha, Qatar. It is an impressive turnaround for the then 31-year-old, who had excelled as a 10,000m runner. 

Since May 2020 Caden has been a Sports Clinic Physiotherapist for Physiosouth in Christchurch. He has a wealth of knowledge in the management of all musculoskeletal injuries; however, he has a special interest in the management of sporting injuries, in particular endurance sport injuries. Caden is currently studying towards his Masters in Physiotherapy investigating factors related to knee injuries in runners.

When asked who has been your toughest rival? Caden replied “I have had many rivals in my time. My old mate Lyndon Brown (King's 2002 – 2006) was my toughest. We raced each other regularly as youngsters and were fierce competitors. Now we are great mates".