New Zealand Olympians joined forces with Brookby School children to plant native trees in aid of the Papakura Stream Restoration Project for Olympic Day.
1375 trees were planted along the Papakura Stream’s banks, supported by the Conservation Volunteers New Zealand, aiming to improve water quality, biodiversity, and ecological resilience in the area.
The tree planting initiative was part of the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Day ‘Let’s Move’ campaign that highlights themes of ‘Move’, ‘Learn’, and ‘Discover’ and aims to inspire young people to be active, explore new ideas, and connect with nature.
New Zealand Olympians Commission Chair, Chantal Brunner (Olympian #692), said events the tree planting help connect Olympians with communities and bring to life the themes of ‘Let’s Move’.
“Our goal is to inspire young people and share our stories. Sport is a powerful force for good, not just on the field, but in our schools, our neighbourhoods and our environment,” said Brunner.
“Adding a sustainability element to our Olympic Day celebrations is a way to give back to the places where we move, train, and grow. This event has been about protecting our environment and creating a legacy for future generations,” she said.
Brookby School students celebrate
Chantal Brunner, Olympian #692
Brookby School teams
Three-time Olympian, Olympic Ambassador and Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist, Dylan Schmidt (Olympian #1346) opened the morning by sharing the highs and lows of chasing his Olympic dream.
“I’ve really enjoyed sharing my story at schools across the country as part of the Olympic Ambassador Programme. It’s been awesome to come back to where I spent a lot of time growing up, connect with the kids and get stuck into some tree planting to make a tangible difference in the area,” said Schmidt.
Molly Meech, Olympian #1315
Jan Martin, Olympian #468
Matt Biggs Olympian #548 & Tony Smith Olympian #589
Molly Meech (Olympian #1315), three-time Olympian and Rio 2016 silver medalist, is completing her Masters of Sustainable Development Goals – Environmental Sustainability, said it was heart-warming to see the kids eager to be out planting trees and helping in their local environment.
“Sailing is a sport so connected to the environment and nature so to be out here today and part of this awesome initiative has been really special. I was a little bit rusty [with the tree planting] at first, but we soon got into the swing of it - the kids in our group did a great job, we had to request more trees to plant so that's always a good sign!"