On Wednesday we were privileged to team up with South Canterbury Road Safety and have Hayden Paddon as a guest speaker at school.

Hayden is a professional rally driver and the first Kiwi to ever win a round of the World Rally Championship. He began racing go-karts at just six years old, and his passion, determination, and hard work have taken him all the way to the global stage. He spoke to us about goal setting and work ethic to make these happen, that you have to drive yourself to set goals and bring them to life. He spoke about challenges and the importance of resilience and positive attitude in the face of these. That these are a normal part of life and we have to be prepared to face them and overcome and not let them be excuses to not being able to be the best that we can be.

Alongside this he talked about some of the unsafest roads he has ever driven on are in South Canterbury and the importance of safe driving habits, as a driver and passenger. Police and Fire Service representatives spoke to us also.

Hayden was PWRC world champion in 2011 and won the New Zealand Rally Championship in 2008, 2009, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023. In 2023 he became the first non-European to be crowned European Rally Champion. Following that up by retaining the European Rally Championship title in 2024 and winning the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.

Not only is Hayden known for his impressive driving skills and record-breaking achievements, but he's also leading the way in sustainable motorsport, developing world-first electric rally cars through his company, Paddon Rallysport. He’s a proud South Islander who proves that with focus and resilience, even the biggest dreams are within reach. The students enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions of all our guests.