Shay's Spirit of New Zealand Fundraiser

Hey I’m Shay, I’m 17, live in sunny Marahau next to the Abel Tasman National Park and was home-schooled until the age of 13. As a kid, this was awesome and gave me plenty of time to build a passion for sports and the outdoors, as well as developing a keen hunger for knowledge which I still carry with me now. On most weekends you can find me hiking in the mountains with my friends, rock climbing, kayaking or snowboarding up at the ski fields in the winter. I have been a part of the Motueka High School adventure racing team which has been an awesome experience. Adventure racing is a mix of long distance running, kayaking, biking, problem solving and orienteering, often with heavy equipment weighing us down. After qualifying for the nationals in the South Island finals, we headed up north for our very first appearance on the New Zealand-wide stage. We amazingly pulled off a 3rd place which was a great achievement for us. We discovered the importance of supporting each other and working as a cohesive team, pulling together all our individual strengths. This close connection and commitment to team spirit earned us the Team Synergy Award. Each of us took on leadership roles at different stages and I would like to have the opportunity to further build on the experience I had. I can see that the Spirit of NZ will help me to further develop my leadership and team working skills.

Last year I had the responsibility of being the International Student Leader at Motueka High School. This was an incredible opportunity to be a role model for younger students and taught me how to speak to a larger audience. This year I have decided to take a gap year as I don’t yet know what career I want to pursue. There are so many occupational fields that I find interesting, and with the modern world having such an amazing amount of options I want to take my time and choose wisely. The 10-day Spirit of New Zealand voyage runs from the 26th of March to the 5th of April. It is a perfect opportunity for me to learn new skills, meet new people which could help with my next steps forward and to choosing the next path in my life. The experience will cost $2500 (plus $500 transport) and I am working in a cafe at the moment in order to pay as much as possible myself. Any support from others is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,

Shay Morton