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Help Rachel get to the Junior World Orienteering Championships in Portugal

  • JWOC Urban Women's Relay - Rachel's best performance of the week

      16 July 2022
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    The JWOC organisers pulled out all the stops and in just a few days, rustled up one final urban race for the JWOC competitors. This one, a 3 person (single sex) relay, so NZ had 2 out of the 49 teams in the Junior Girls' relay. Still in 40 degrees heat, Rachel ran her best race of the week gaining 6 places on 2nd leg for the NZ B team, and running the fastest time out of the Kiwi girls. Her 3rd leg runner pulled back another 6 places bringing the team home in 22nd position (1 place behind Australia A, 2 places ahead of NZ A and 3 places ahead of Australia B!)

    So that's all for JWOC 2022 - certainly not the challenging forest orienteering she was selected for, and infinitely more suited to than the urban races they ended up running, but still, such an amazing experience with so much to learn from!

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  • JWOC Mixed Sprint B Relay Results

      15 July 2022

    Rachel, Zefa, Will & Katherine all ran a good steady races to finish 11th out of 25 teams, but unfortunately a mispunch (running to a wrong control, instead of the correct near by control and not realising the mistake) mean't that the team was disqualified. Video is of Rachel finishing first leg and handing over to Zefa.

    One more race to go: An Urban Relay later today. Rachel is running in the NZ Women's B team with Katherine and Emily.

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  • JWOC Mixed Sprint Relay

      15 July 2022

    In the absence of any forest racing, the JWOC organiser have put on the inaugural JWOC Mixed Sprint Relay through the steep narrow cobbled streets of Aguiar da Beira. Due to the narrow streets, only 2 teams per nation are allowed in the A Relay, so Rachel is running in the B Relay; first leg for the NZ C team.

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  • JWOC Sprint 2022

      13 July 2022

    Yesterday was the JWOC Sprint. Result 110 out of 150. Was running really well (about 50-60th position) until almost at the end, but fell into the planners trap right near the end of the course: in oxygen debt after running up the hill in the full heat of the sun, switching from urban to forest, and with the finish almost in sight, lost focus, missed a path, and flapped around for 3 minutes agonising minutes and 50 places, before finding the control.

    A rookie mistake, but this trip is all about experience and from Rachel: "It will be easy to improve on next time! :-)"

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  • Sprint (urban) Relays added to JWOC schedule

      10 July 2022
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    With access to all Portuguese forests disallowed, the JWOC organisers have added two sprint relays to the schedule: A Mixed Sprint Relay (2 men- 2 women) on Wed 13th July and a 3 man and a 3 women Sprint Relay on Fri 15th July.

    Each country can only enter two teams in the mixed relays so not all athletes will be able to compete, however, they can all compete in the relays on Friday.

    The photo is of the sunset last night. The smoke from the fires can clearly be seen, and smelt too.

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  • Breaking News: JWOC Forest Races Cancelled!

      9 July 2022
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    Gutted! Athletes & Organisers alike.

    With current forest fires blazing in Portugal, and a heat wave of 43 degrees, the Portuguese government has declared an eight-day total ban on access to its forests starting on Friday 8th July – and so far lasting until Friday 15th July. With competitions scheduled from 11th-16th July, it would currently be possible to run the final forest race on Saturday 16th July, but with no sign of rain, this may be optimistic rather than realistic.

    The JWOC Urban Sprint will go ahead on Monday, and the organisers are looking into organising an additional Urban Sprint, so athletes will still get to run a JWOC race and experience International competition, but sadly not be able to race in the fantastic Portuguese forests that Rachel is more suited to and was so looking forward to.

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  • Fantastic run on first leg of the EYOC Relay

      6 July 2022
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    After the full heat of the sun again took it's toll on the Kiwis in the EYOC Urban Sprint on Sunday (50th place for Rachel), Monday's final EYOC race was back in the forest and Rachel stormed around the first leg of the Women's 16 relay, jostling with the leading runners and handing over in 4th place. Her team mate also had a great run, but with only 2 runners, it was an incomplete team. and they stopped after Leg 2.

    Still, great practice and very encouraging and confidence building for next week in Portugal.

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  • 38th in Europe

      3 July 2022
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    The Long race was long, hot and hard! Rachel came 38th out of 99 competitors in her U16 age category. The European forests are different to back home, so navigational decisions are different, the weather's different, and jet lag is different. But for a first race overseas, and first International competition, a benchmark has been set. Lots to learn, lots to improve and lots to enjoy!

    Results of Long distance are available on Eventor: link.eyoc2022.hu/results/long

    The Sprint (short Urban) race is tomorrow. Start time for Rachel: 4:01pm local time (2:01am NZ time)

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  • European Youth Orienteering Championships (Pre JWOC competition) starts today

      2 July 2022
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    The younger members of the team arrived in Salgótarján, Hungary, yesterday for the European Youth (U19) championships, and are racing today. Preview on the NZOF website here: https://www.orienteering.org.nz/news/new-zealand-team-arrives-at-the-european-youth-orienteering-championships/

    Live results here (Rachel is running in the W16 class): https://liveresultat.orientering.se/followfull.php?comp=23258&lang=sv#W16

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  • A fantastic day sightseeing in London

      2 July 2022
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    Last day in the UK called for a trip up to London to see the sights: the London Eye, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Bridge complete with red double decker buses, St James's Park, Trafalgar square, Bond Street (looking, not spending), The National Gallery & The Phantom of the Opera at her Majesty's Theatre...... So much to see!

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  • Catching up with UK Family

      1 July 2022
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    Spending a few days with Grandma & Grandad, Aunty & Cousin just outside London, before heading off to Hungary and the European Youth Championships starting on Saturday

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  • Arrived in Europe

      27 June 2022
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    Rachel has arrived in Europe and is acclimatising to the change in temperature

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  • On her way!

      25 June 2022
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    Auckland International is very empty, but the queues are just as long as ever. Very exciting for Rachel to be on her way to Europe

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  • Last race before heading overseas

      19 June 2022
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    I ran the NZ Secondary Schools Cross Country Nationals in Nelson yesterday which was my last race before heading overseas. I didn't do as well as I was hoping, as I got bogged down in the soggy mud, but thanks to my awesome training friends, and coaches John & Craig, I'm feeling at my fittest and looking forward to running through Hungarian and Portuguese forests instead.

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