Aoraki Polytechnic

Guts, determination and mental toughness…

These three attributes are needed to take the plunge into kayaking, according to three Aoraki Polytechnic outdoor recreation students.

Elsy Didsbury, Pip Russell and Tanya Gavin admit to loving the adrenaline rush of throwing themselves head-first into some of the more challenging runs New Zealand’s rivers have to offer.

The trio are doing kayaking this year as part of their course at Aoraki Polytechnic, and say the sport provides the perfect challenge.

“It’s a good personal challenge, because you’re not relying on anyone else but yourself to get down,” Pip says.

Tanya says it’s all about testing yourself:

“It’s a big challenge to test yourself against something that you’re not sure if it’s going to own you or not.”

The girls say the sport had its physical challenges, but being mentally tough was most important. “Once you second guess it, you falter. You have to commit,” Pip says.

Commitment is essential for anyone taking on the hole called The Maneater, on the Kawarau River in Otago, which Tanya managed to do for the first time earlier this year. “I got really excited. I was like ‘I surfed Man-eater!’ That was when I got really excited about it, before then it was just some huge crushing wave that was a monster.”

The three adrenaline junkies said they enjoyed how the outdoor recreation course had pushed them outside their comfort zones, even if it was driven by egos. School team leader for Aoraki’s School of Outdoor Education Ian Logie said the skills would serve the trio well.

“It’s been really enjoyable to see these three progress so well and so far this year already. Given their people orientated focus, natural abilities and the learning they’ll get out of their time at Aoraki I can see a long and rewarding career for them instructing in the outdoors.”

Phone: (03) 684 8240 (ext 850)
Email: study@aoraki.ac.nz
www.aorakioutdoors.net.nz