Here are some of our students achievements in the last month.

Quiet Achiever – Daniel McDowell

Many will not have had the opportunity to chat to Daniel, a Year 13 student in SJm, but you should, as he is an example of one the many quiet achievers here at Shirley Boys’ High School.

Daniel is a member of the Arawa Canoe Club and the North Beach Surf Life Saving Club, where he is a current life guard.

However it is in his kayaking that he has excelled. He is currently the top ranked kayaker in his age group in Canterbury and the South Island. In Surf-Ski, Daniel is currently the Under 19 ski and double ski Canterbury Champion, the South Island Under 19 double ski gold and Under 19 ski silver medallist and a member of the Open Ski Relay Gold Team.

At a national level, Daniel is very competitive and has shown talent and commitment which has seen him being rewarded with selection to the Canoe Racing New Zealand ID programme for up and coming talented kayakers looking toward the 2020-2024 Olympics.

This year, Daniel was 3rd at Nationals and Oceania Championships in the K2 1000 and 4th in the K1 200. This was his second time at competing at Nationals. He is ranked sixth in New Zealand this year in his age group.  At the 2015 New Zealand National Kayak marathon Championships Daniel came 2nd in Under 18 K1.

To top off a great 2015, Daniel has been selected to the New Zealand Marathon team to compete at the World Canoe Marathon Championships in Gyor Hungary on 11 and 12 September. There are around 34 countries competing at this event ranging from Masters, Open, under 23 and Juniors, which will be Daniel’s age group.

Joe Hall

Joe recently competed at the Southern Region Surf Pool Champs in Dunedin where he placed 3rd in the Mens 18 & Under 50 LC metre swim with fins, and 2nd in Mens 200 LC metre 4x50m Medly Relay.