28th May 2016

Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail wins Innovation Award

At the 2016 ASB Otago Sports Awards, the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail was the recipient of the University of Otago Innovation in Sport Award

The awards were presented at the Dunedin Town Hall on Friday 20 May. The guest speakers were Ian Foster, All Blacks Assistant Head Coach and Selector, and Peter Gallagher, All Blacks Physiotherapist.

The awards are organised by Sport Otago for the purpose of recognising excellence in sporting achievement across the province. The finalists and winners were selected by Megan Gibbons (Otago Polytechnic), Steve Hepburn (Otago Daily Times), Dominic George (NZME), Dean Horo (High Performance Sport New Zealand) and John Brimble (Sport Otago).

Proceeds from the event go towards supporting Sport Otago’s ‘Sporting Chance’ programme that funds youth participation in sport.

Quotes:

This project, from its inception, has been planned and implemented over time by different people who have worked hard to bring it to fruition. They are to be congratulated with a job well done.

Thunes Cloete
Community Services Group Manager, Waitaki District Council

It was indeed an inspired decision by the Prime Minister, John Key who proposed the NZ Cycle Trail concept in February 2009 and backed it with $50 million in grants. Equally the members of the first A2O Working Group were innovative in the Alps2Ocean concept and
in the design of a 5 day, 300km route from Mt Cook to the ocean at Oamaru.
This was truly innovative, to offer the longest trail, downhill, usually a tail wind and giving its riders for 5 days the pleasure of the wide sky landscape of the Mackenzie Basin, Waitaki and Waiareka Valleys AND very importantly giving a 5 day & night expenditure boost to the districts’ economies.

Mike Neilson
Chairperson, Alps 2 Ocean Joint Committee

The A2O Trail is an outstanding achievement and the award was much appreciated. Tourism Waitaki is indebted to the A2O developers and visionaries who made the concept a reality. It has made a positive economic difference to every community that it passes through. At every turn a new vista appears, showcasing this fabulous region, in a wholly sustainable way. Get on your bike and ride it!

Marcus Brown
Board Chair of Tourism Waitaki Ltd.

ENDS

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