North Canterbury News: July 08, 2021
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NEWS<br />
8 <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>July</strong> 8, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Mirror reflection life-changing<br />
By SHELLEY TOPP<br />
Areflection in the mirror during last<br />
year’s lockdown has proved alifechanging<br />
moment for Loburn’s Alex<br />
Witt.<br />
Alex, who was then aged 19, was<br />
unhappy with what he saw in the mirror<br />
and decided that day to do something<br />
about it. He began running to lose<br />
weight and now, fifteen months later, he<br />
is fit, trim and 30kg lighter.<br />
‘‘Looking back at what Ilooked like<br />
before Istarted and comparing it to now,<br />
it is quite cool to see and Iamreally<br />
stoked with what Ihave achieved,’’ he<br />
said.<br />
The weight loss has improved his<br />
physical and mental health, and given<br />
him the motivation and confidence to<br />
compete in ironman events and halfmarathons.<br />
He is also giving motivational talks in<br />
schools, has appeared on television, is<br />
planning to study sports and physical<br />
education at Otago University next year<br />
and has attracted sponsorship from The<br />
Sport Shop in Rangiora for his running,<br />
which was ahuge surprise.<br />
‘‘I never saw myself getting any type of<br />
sponsor, let alone for running,’’ Alex<br />
said.<br />
‘They have continued to help me out<br />
heaps and Iamstoked to be able to<br />
represent an awesome local shop and a<br />
great team of people.’’<br />
The Sport Shop owner, Nigel<br />
Lavender, said he decided to help Alex<br />
because he has achieved alot in ashort<br />
time.<br />
‘‘We just want to help him achieve a<br />
bit more,’’. With that in mind Alex has<br />
recently been provided with apair of the<br />
latest, high tech, New Balance carbonplated<br />
running shoes. ``They are the<br />
Formula One of running shoes,’’ Nigel<br />
said.<br />
New life ... Alex Witt, of Loburn, changed his life after losing 30kg during the Covid19<br />
pandemic lockdown last year.<br />
PHOTO:SHELLEY TOPP<br />
Alex found losing 30kg relatively easy<br />
and attributes this to his mindset of<br />
really wanting to make achange.<br />
‘‘All it took was achange in my diet<br />
and some regular exercise to start with.<br />
That progressed into racing and<br />
competing.’’<br />
He became interested in competitive<br />
running to give himself additional<br />
motivation for his weightloss training<br />
and has found he really enjoys running<br />
half marathons because of the<br />
satisfaction he feels after completing<br />
each event and receiving the medal is a<br />
bonus. He has done the Cromwell,<br />
Queenstown, <strong>Canterbury</strong>, Christchurch<br />
Motorway, and Christchurch halfmarathons<br />
and has Tekapo, Wellington,<br />
and Queenstown half marathons coming<br />
up in the next few months. Then it will<br />
be back into triathlons during the<br />
summer.<br />
Show closer<br />
AMidsummer Night’s DreamRewritten has<br />
edged closer to opening, with the large cast<br />
and crew packingintothe Rangiora Town<br />
Hall last weekend.<br />
The HartleySchool of PerformingArts’<br />
(HSPA) latest productionisscheduled to<br />
open in the town hall on Wednesday, <strong>July</strong><br />
14.<br />
Last Sunday the cast of 130 intermediate<br />
and senior pupilsfrom the school had their<br />
first rehearsal for the musical on stage in<br />
the hall.<br />
‘‘We have areally wide range of people<br />
performinginthis show,’’ the HSPA<br />
founder Dale HartleyBrown says.<br />
‘‘Theatre is good for givingpeople the<br />
opportunity to be themselves and express<br />
themselvesonstage.’’<br />
The musical version of William<br />
Shakespeare’s 16th century comedy, A<br />
Midsummer Night’s Dream,has been<br />
rewritten and adapted by Dale, along with<br />
aformer HSPA pupil, Robert Vincentand A<br />
Midsummer Night’s Dream Rewritten show’s<br />
director, Paul Johnson.<br />
‘‘Shakespeare can be atough sell in<br />
theatre at times because people thinkthey<br />
won’t understand the script, written in<br />
unfamiliarlanguage from so many years<br />
ago,’’ Dale says. However, the rewritehas<br />
transformed the famous writer’s original<br />
work into abright,modernfamilyfriendly<br />
musical with 130 costume changes and 22<br />
musical numbers.<br />
‘‘It is colourful, exciting, funny,written in<br />
amodern language, and includes songs<br />
‘‘with amessagethat you can have fun<br />
with,’’ Dale says.<br />
AMidsummer Night’s Dream Rewritten<br />
will be performed from Wednesday<strong>July</strong> 14<br />
untilSaturday, <strong>July</strong> 17 daily at 2pm, plus<br />
Thursday <strong>July</strong> 15 and Friday <strong>July</strong> 16 at<br />
7.30pm. The show is part of the twoweek<br />
KidsFest seriesofeventsin<strong>Canterbury</strong><br />
during the schoolholidays. Ticketscan be<br />
purchasedatRangiora Town Hall Cinema,<br />
under Live Shows, or in the theatre at the<br />
ticket counter.<br />
washpen falls<br />
It’s right here in Selwyn!<br />
Only an hour’s drive from Christchurch,the Washpen Falls track<br />
takes you through an ancient volcanic canyon covered<br />
in native bush that’sfilled with birdsong.<br />
Agreat twohour walk for moderate fitness levels, with stairs and<br />
boardwalks. Privately owned, the trackiswell-maintained yearround.$10<br />
per adult and $5 per child (under 15).<br />
Packsome warm clothes, grab abite to eat at acafé along the<br />
wayand head to the spectacularviews of Washpen Falls.<br />
Share your Kura Tāwhiti photos<br />
and tag us selwyn.nz<br />
Visit selwyn.nz
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