ILT Academy Southland marked 20 years of developing Southland’s top young athletes at a special celebration held in Invercargill on Saturday (Dec 21).
First piloted in 2005, the Academy has supported more than 250 athletes across a wide range of sports, helping them achieve success both on and off the field.
Academy programme manager Jason McKenzie said the milestone provided an opportunity to reflect on how the programme had evolved, the impact it had made, and the innovative thinking of those who helped establish it — including Kereyn Smith and the late Mike Piper.
Mike Piper’s wife, Joy, attended the celebration as a special guest, alongside more than 30 Academy graduates and their families.
“These 20 years are Mike’s legacy. Thank you Mike – I hope we have made you proud,” McKenzie said.
“We provide a programme that we know from research makes a short and long term difference to athletes’ performance and grows them as people.
“They are grounded in Southland values of humbleness, work ethic and passion. They are challenged to be better every day and they learn the skills to use in performance when it matters most.”
Over the past two decades, Academy Southland has supported athletes to reach the highest levels of competition, including 10 Olympians, 30 Commonwealth Games representatives, and numerous national and world champions.
Among those attending the celebration were double Olympic gold medallist Alena Saili, Olympic silver medallists Eddie Dawkins and Nicole Shields, and Paralympic bronze medallist Jess Hamill.
Saili, Dawkins and WorldTour cyclist Corbin Strong also took part in a guest panel discussion during the event.
While sporting success remained a key focus, McKenzie said the Academy was equally proud of its athletes’ achievements beyond sport.
“We develop young Southland athletes to excel at the highest level in life as well – Harvard, Duke, Princeton, Oxford and a Rhodes Scholar,” he said.
McKenzie thanked the athletes, their coaches and families, as well as the Academy’s board, sponsors, funders and the wider community for their ongoing support.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, video interviews with former Academy athletes have been recorded and are being shared across the programme’s social media channels.
McKenzie said a strong theme that emerged from reconnecting with past athletes was the pride they felt representing Southland on national and international stages.
“It has been a hell of a ride and, while we are here to celebrate our 20 year milestone, I feel like we have only just begun.”