Pegasus Post: January 30, 2018

6 Tuesday January 30 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Your Local Views
Local
News
Now
PEGASUS POST
Poto takes on the Coast to Coast
Fire rages, homes at risk
Readers respond to the
New Brighton surf club’s
potential relocation which
could block the New
Brighton Club’s beach view
Marie Carney – Don’t give
consent, so simple to fix the
problem.
Jeremy Maxwell – Good old
Brighton, oppose everything that
will hold the community back,
any development in the republic
would be good
Ams Morunga – What’s more
important, saving lives or saving
views?
Gill Hubert – How many lives
have been lost to drowning? Or
the surf lifesavers not being able
to get to someone in time which
caused serious injury? I’ve never
heard of any. Show us some stats
on why it should be moved closer
and make valid points. Otherwise,
if it’s not broken don’t fix it.
Christchurch
East MP Poto
Williams
discusses her
reasons for
participating
in the Coast to
Coast
WHEN I’M asked why I’m
participating in the Kathmandu
Coast to Coast, I know very
clearly what has motivated me to
do this.
Trust me, it’s not a love
of waking pre-dawn to ride
a bicycle, or to pound the
pavement for kilometre
after kilometre, but what
opportunities might come from
this event for my community.
One thing I know for sure,
being physically active is
important for your mental
well-being. It’s one the of the
ideas that Sir John Kirwan
promotes for people impacted by
depression. You don’t necessarily
have to climb mountains, but
if you’re keeping fit, walking,
running, swimming or just
getting out into the fresh air, it
helps your mental health.
This event is special and
requires a lot of resources, access
to good training and equipment.
Not something we can all do
TRAINING: Poto Williams with city councillor Glenn
Livingstone on top of Mt Herbert Te Ahu Patiki as the pair train
for the Coast to Coast next month.
without help. I think about
this in the context of young
people wanting to engage in any
physical or sports activity, and
how some of us may be excluded
from participation due to a lack
of resource or support.
I recently met a young woman
from my electorate who had
been chosen to represent her
Pacific nation at a sports event
to be held in Auckland. She is
obviously talented and sport
keeps her focussed and engaged.
She couldn’t attend this event
because she couldn’t afford the
airfare and accommodation
costs. There are a lot of young
people who don’t participate
because sports shoes are
expensive or club fees are
expensive.
I want my competing in the
Coast to Coast to send a message
to others who can help, such as
businesses or organisations – and
it is that they should. Because
sport can be life-changing for
our young people because it’s
about discipline, leadership,
self-reliance and resilience. I will
be donating my bike and cycle
equipment to a young competitor
for next year’s event.
The third reason I am
competing is because it ends
in New Brighton at the pier. I
have done most of my training
in the eastern suburbs. New
Brighton is the heart of outdoor
activity in Christchurch.
The surf life saving, surfing,
swimming, kayaking, school
sports at Rawhiti Domain like
golf, the coast, estuary and
the opportunities that the red
zone land presents all tell me
we should be promoting sports
and outdoor activity as an
opportunity to revitalise our
area.
The new playground
has shown how the right
development can bring people
to the area. This has to be
supported with the right
infrastructure, transportation,
car parking, rubbish bins, good
planning and an overall strategy.
But it is possible.
And that’s why I’m doing
the Coast to Coast, because it’s
important that I believe in the
possibility and opportunity of
this area enough to put my body
to the test for it.
style
noun
elegance and sophistication.
synonyms: flair, grace, poise,
polish, suaveness, urbanity, chic,
finesse, taste, class, comfort,
luxury, affluence, wealth,
opulence, lavishness.
MAGAZINE
STYLE.KIWI