School staffers team up for Coast to Coast

‘‘Waitaki’s Finest’’ took on the challenge of competing in the Coast to Coast and earned a top 10 finish.

Waitaki Boys’ High School staff members Sam Henehan, Jordan Horrell and Twyla Kingan teamed up to compete as a three-person team in the two-day event.

Head of social sciences Henehan completed the kayak, assistant rector Horrell completed the run and sport co-ordinater Kingan completed the bike.

Their time of 13hrs 57mins 2secs was good enough to finish 10th in the three-person team open division.

It was the first time competing for all of them.

‘‘I really enjoyed it, it was wonderful and I am saying that seriously,’’ Horrell said.

‘‘It was really cool being part of a team doing something like that.

‘‘I was certainly pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. I like running and run a lot but not necessarily that sort of running so it was doing something a wee bit different.’’

It was Kingan’s idea to put the team together.

‘‘I thought this was a really good chance to go and do something with your friends from work,’’ she said.

‘‘The Coast to Coast is such a great event, the whole community is so welcoming and everybody is there for their own reasons and having a go.’’

Horrell agreed.

‘‘It’s just one of those things where you get to know people you work with and discover you have similar interests.

‘‘I like putting running shoes on and going jogging so to Twyla that obviously said ‘this guy will run 30km over a mountain’.’’

While the top 10 finish was pleasing, none of the three were particularly focused on their placing.

‘‘We were really happy to just get it done and to end up with a top 10 finish was just a byproduct of completing the course and having a good time, really,’’ Horrell said.

‘‘The other thing that was cool was seeing all the support from our colleagues and the students and the school community and things.

‘‘It’s nice for people to see us doing something a wee bit different from our day jobs.’’

The event was a family affair for Kingan as her husband Callum and son Mason also competed.

‘‘There’s been a lot of conversation in our house in particular about Coast to Coast.’’

Callum competed in a twoperson team with Scott Weatherall finishing with a time of 16hrs 9mins 14secs while Mason entered as an individual and completed the course in 12hrs 39mins 25secs.