The 2016 Olympic Games may have wrapped up for another year, but the Bay of Plenty's own version, the annual AIMS Games, is preparing for a record turnout.
Now Tauranga's biggest and most successful event, this week's AIMS Games, will see nearly 9300 intermediate-aged school children from 275 schools from around New Zealand, Tonga and the Cook Islands compete in 21 sporting codes.
The prestigious opening ceremony on Sunday is a special moment for any young athlete, and among the crowd of enthusiastic competitors and passionate supporters will be six ACG Tauranga students, all eager to represent their school.
'AIMS is a place where you can see world-class athletes in training,” says ACG Tauranga teacher Jackie Webb.
'It's got that real goosepimply feeling about it, it's quite incredible, and I think it is really important that these students get the opportunity to test themselves against their peers.”
Representing the school are four students in the cross-country discipline – 12-year-olds Cal Macredie and Lily McSweeney, and 11-year-olds Renee Reeves-Pederson and Mia Fletcher. Eleven-year-old Connor Delaneyis showcasing his skills in the pool, while Brin Watson, also aged 11, takes on the diverse codes of both squash and canoe slalom – in the first year the water sport is on the programme.
When The Weekend Sun meets with the group, there isn't a hint of nervousness, but plenty of excitement. The students have been training hard, balancing their busy training schedule with school work.
'You have to be organised,” says Renee. 'It can be quite hard sometimes, but it's worth it!”
Lily says she sometimes tries to do my homework on the bus sometimes 'to make sure I get it all done and still have time to train”.
Preparation for the cross country girls included a trip to Rotorua to compete in the Junior Tough Guy and Gal – extreme training, as Jackie calls it, which involved not just running, but clambering over obstacles and wading through thick mud.
'More like swimming!” quips Renee. 'It was fun, but gross!”
Swimmer Connor has been training five times a week for an one-hour-and-a-half, and admits it can be hard to stay motivated – but once he gets into the pool, he forgets about everything else.
'I trained really hard to get my qualifying times, going as well as I could in the meets leading up to AIMS and it was really good to have that to work towards.”
Meanwhile Brin's preparation also involved water, but much, much more of it. It's his first time performing canoe slalom in white-water, and has been putting in extra hours to ensure he's confident in a more challenging environment.
'It's a little bit scary,” he admits. 'I've just started doing it in training sessions in Kawerau, and the first time I did it I rolled, so that was quite crazy.
'But I saw it as a barrier to overcome and have just been working really hard to make sure I'm confident with everything I do.”
Watching local Olympic canoe slalom stars Luuka Jones and Mike Dawson step up to overcome their own challenges inspired Brin too, and he says the Olympic arena is 'definitely something I'd like to do”.
Like sports stars twice their ages, the six admit there are times when it can be hard to stay focused, but the desire to challenge themselves wins every time.
'You have to think about the outcome,” says Cal. 'When you are older, if you keep trying and pushing, you can end up becoming a really top competitor, which is pretty cool.”
ACG Tauranga principal Shawn Hutchinson says he's incredibly proud of the students and Jackie for the effort they have put in leading up to the AIMS Games, and wishes them all the best for the week ahead.
'There is no denying the dedication and commitment these children have towards all aspects of their lives – be it academic or active.
'I have no doubt that, whatever the outcome, this experience will set them in good stead for life, teaching them life skills such as team work, focus, and how to build mental and physical toughness.”