This year for the fourth consecutive time, Kerikeri High School has won the accolade of ‘Toughest School’ at the Tough Guy Tough Gal competition held in Auckland. Not only is the course and the training involved personally strenuous, getting selected in to the school team demands fitness and commitment. These impressive sporting values are making the opportunity to attend this event very popular.

Kerikeri HS made its first entry into the TGTG event in 2013 after a team of students, who had successfully competed in the Northern Crossing, discovered its existence. They were looking for another kind of adventure event and got staff and parent support to make it happen. It was the first year the event in Auckland had had a secondary school division. Kerikeri HS took 24 students and finished as the ‘Top School’.

The last three years have meant the defending of this title resulting in a more serious approach by staff and a changing but increasing set of students. Log books recording a student’s training and a weekly meeting with the staff member in charge of the event, Su Neave, ensure a student’s interest and commitment is evidenced and their log book signed. In 2015, 150 students began the process for selection for TGTG. 45 were selected. Sport Northland’s inaugural Fullers Great Sights Bay of Islands Beast event provided a consolation event for 20 additional students.

This year on June 30^th, Kerikeri HS successfully defended their fourth TGTG title. 45 students, from 250 that initially registered as being interested, competed. An additional 30 students, none of whom have yet competed at TGTG, will compete at the Beast event on July 8^th.

Kerikeri High School is a target secondary school for Sport Northland. RSD, Robyn Richards, works with the Sports Department and is aware of the huge effort that is made to provide a sports programme that offers opportunities for participation that meets student needs. In acknowledging the performance of Kerikeri High School Robyn also notes “This is a good example of how a school is looking further than traditional sports opportunities to meet the needs of their students. This activity represents sustained involvement in terms of preparation and competition. It may eventually motivate a different group of students that are less involved in sport within the school. The rewards for their on-going involvement can be seen in the results they have achieved at the Auckland event, at our Northland Secondary Schools Cross Country event and at the Fullers Great Sights  Bay of Islands Beast.”

Photo: Kerikeri HS student competing at a previous Tough Guy Tough Gal challenge