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Graduates from the Wāhine Toa Oceania pilot programme
Applications are now open for the second cohort of Wāhine Toa Oceania, a leadership programme designed to grow and support the next generation of women leaders in sport.
Led by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC), in partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and supported by Olympic Solidarity, cohort two will bring together 20 retired female athletes from across the Pacific region to develop their leadership skills gained through elite sport.
Over 12 months, participants will take part in three workshops across Fiji, Greece (Olympia) and Papua New Guinea, while working alongside mentors and programme leaders to strengthen their leadership capability and grow their influence within sport.
Major expenses, including flights, accommodation, meals and programme tuition are covered, helping ensure women from across Oceania can access the opportunity.
It’s hoped participants will apply the skills developed through the course into leadership, governance, coaching, advocacy, administration and community roles across the Pacific.
NZOC CEO, Nicki Nicol, said this second cohort will no doubt build on the success of the inaugural Wāhine Toa Oceania programme, completed last year.
"Wāhine Toa Oceania is about empowering women who’ve already achieved at the highest levels of sport. This is about them taking the next step as leaders in their communities and sporting organisations,” she said.
“It’s really valuable having former athletes bringing their lived experiences and passion to the course where they can hopefully make a real difference to the future of the sporting sector in the Pacific,” said Nicol.
The programme is open to retired female athletes who have previously competed at the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games or Pacific Games.
Participants will also have the chance to design and deliver a project that focuses on advancing opportunities and overcoming challenges for women and girls in sport in their own countries.
Wāhine Toa Oceania Programme Manager, Cathleen Bias, said she loves to see how the connections among participants grow throughout the 12-month course.
"One of the most exciting aspects of Wāhine Toa Oceania is seeing women from different countries and cultures come together and work collaboratively on something they are passionate about,” said Bias.
"We’re lucky to have Robyn Cockburn back as our lead facilitator as well as Sarah Cowley-Ross, who has played an integral role in shaping and delivering the programme. Both wāhine have a lot of experience in this field and carry a lot of mana; we're all excited to welcome the next group of emerging leaders to the programme," she said.
Applications are now open, closing on September 18. The second Wāhine Toa Oceania programme will start in November with its first workshop in Nadi, Fiji.
This second iteration of Wāhine Toa Oceania is built on the success of last year's inaugural programme and the proven Wāhine Toa model developed by the NZOC, which has supported female athletes into leadership roles since 2017.
More information on the NZOC’s Wāhine Toa programmes can be found here.