Connecting with our student leaders

It has become a tradition for the Rotary Club of Otahuhu to host student leaders from local high schools for an annual lunch.

 

Special speakers are arranged who may tell their life stories and have inspirational messages.

Our 2022 annual lunch was no exception when we welcomed senior student leaders from Kings College, Otahuhu College  & PASS,  to join us and to hear from recent Commonwealth Games representatives,  ‘Joe’ (Sio Pomelile) a weightlifter who represented Tonga, and Joshua Willmer a para-swimmer representing NZ who won a gold medal in the 100m  breaststroke. 

Joe told us about his childhood, moving to NZ as a child with his family, training to be a physiotherapist and his enjoyment of being a weightlifter. He shared his values—respect, loyalty, nurturing healthy relationships and the importance of honesty and ethics. Excellent talk and follow-up Q & A session.

 

Joshua is  17 years old and was giving his first ‘public’ presentation ever and handled it well. A quietly spoken young man who has put in long hours of training and is still surprising himself with what he can achieve. The gold medal was impressive and heavy. The students were delighted to have the opportunity to hold the medal.

 

For the Rotarians, it was a great opportunity to reconnect with our younger community leaders after the prolonged lockdown restrictions through COVID-19 over recent years and to hear from two wonderful athletes who each their own way,  faced hurdles to get to the Commonwealth Games.