Western News: November 13, 2018

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Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday November 13 2018
WESTERN NEWS
Sami caps top year on the bike
SPORTS
POWER: St Thomas’ Caius Faatili was a big reason his team
qualified for the national Condor Sevens competition in
Auckland.
St Thomas’ aim to show
flair at Condor Sevens
• By Jacob Page
ST THOMAS of Canterbury
College sevens coach Jonny
Leo’o believes his team has the
flair and raw talent to compete
with the best at the national
tournament.
The Condor Sevens national
secondary school tournament
will features more than 100
teams across open boys and
girls grade as well as under-15s.
It runs from November 29
to December 2 at Auckland’s
Sacred Heart College.
St Thomas’ qualified for the
open grade along with Timaru
Boys’ High School. The two
teams played in the Canterbury
regional final last month, with
TBHS winning 10-0.
“I believe it’s the first time
in a long time that we have
qualified, so now that we have, I
think the boys will take a lot of
confidence from it.”
Leo’o said his team has a
mix of talented rugby and
rugby league players and, while
meshing the styles was initially
challenging, it has created an
exciting brand of play.
• By Jacob Page
BURNSIDE HIGH School track
cyclist Sami Donnelly is still
pinching herself over the stellar
12 months she’s had.
The 16-year-old was the
supreme winner at the school’s
sports awards
and also won a
Zonta award.
Sami was
the youngest
member of the
New Zealand
team at the
junior world
Sami
Donnelly
championships
in Switzerland.
Having won
gold at the Oceania under-19
women’s team pursuit last year,
Sami said she is eager to push her
claim to ride in endurance races
next season.
“I’m definitely more interested
in doing endurance races and
pushing myself that way.’
Sami is the daughter of former
Olympic team pursuit cyclist,
Nigel Donnelly, who competed
in 1988 and 1992 at Seoul and
Barcelona respectively. He won
a Commonwealth Games gold
medal at the same event in
Auckland in 1990.
Sami said she was motivated by
ACTION: Sami Donnelly preparing to ride for New Zealand.
PHOTO: LYNDAL DONNELLY
her dad’s achievements but also
wanted to follow her own path.
“I’ve always wanted to follow in
dad’s steps,” she said. “In year 6, I
remember having to do a project
on someone I admired and I
picked him.”
Sami said she played multiple
sports when she was younger
until she was in year 8 when she
decided she needed to prioritise.
“I played every sport
imaginable – basketball, netball,
water polo, hockey – until a
physio said my body was not
handling it so I decided to cut
back to hockey and cycling.”
Later that year, she watched her
brother Felix training and she
decided to give it a go,
“I’m aware of what dad
achieved and it does drive me to
be my best,” Sami said. “Having
said that, I want to do my own
thing and I have my own coach.
“Dad’s great at letting me do
my own thing but also knowing
when he can drop in some
knowledge.”
Sami said she wanted another
shot at the under-19 world
championships next year and
was keen to do more endurance
rides.
“Even when that pain hits,
you have to find the reasons
why you ride and certainly
enjoy it.”