Timaru Boys’ High School has just cause to be proud of its students – both past and present. 

The recent 2016 South Canterbury Sports Awards, celebrating its 50th anniversary, saw Old Boy Hayden Paddon (pictured right) take the top prize of South Canterbury Sportsperson of the Year at the event.

Hayden became the first New Zealander to win a round of the World Rally Championship, in Argentina, where he held off three-time world champion Sebastien Ogier as well as winning two second-place finishes at WRC events, in Sardinia and Sweden.

Old Boy Tom Walsh was also a strong contender for the award. With his March performance at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Portland where he stormed to his first global gold medal with a series of standout throws, Tom continues to make an Olympic-sized statement on the field. We will be watching and cheering from the sidelines as he competes at the Olympics in Rio later this year.

Timaru Boys’ High School was elated to hear that the South Canterbury Young Sportsperson of the Year award went to Taine Gibson. Winner of the under 17 Slalom and Jump at the nationals, finishing fourth in the Open Men’s category in the same event and winner of a silver medal in a world invitational under 18 event in Melbourne, Taine has been named in the New Zealand Junior Water Skiing team to compete in Chile in January.

Congratulations must also go to the following nominees who are either Old Boys, current pupils, parents or staff members:

Marc Ryan (Cycling), Ben Deeley (Football), David and Cameron Ellis (Indoor Bowls), Joel Hill, (Boxing), James Watt (Tennis), Ben Grant (Coaching), Steve Deeley (Coaching), Christine Swindells (Official).