Meet Olympic heroes at NZ’s national sports training centre

Rare chance to meet Olympic heroes and go behind the scenes at NZ’s national sports training centre

11 October 2012

A host of our top athletes will be on hand to meet the public on Sunday 4 November, in a rare glimpse behind the scenes at the elite AUT Millennium – New Zealand’s premier national sports training centre.

“A lot of folks were really inspired by the feats of our athletes in London, and we wanted to give people a chance to see where New Zealand athletes of that calibre train and perfect their performance,” Nicola Airey, head of sponsorship for New Zealand Post said today.

“That culminated in our support for an Open Day, as part of New Zealand Post’s ActivePost programme which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of Kiwis by encouraging people to get involved in sports and activities. The ActivePost programme – which started with the sponsorship of a few grass roots initiatives (Small Sticks by Hockey NZ, Get Set Go by Athletics NZ, Waka Ama and Water Safety NZ) – is now broadening its reach to larger participation events,” Nicola Airey said.

Mike Stanley, the CEO of AUT Millennium says the timing for the centre’s first ever Open Day is appropriate. “What better way to celebrate such an eventful year, following the Olympic Games and the extensions here at AUT Millennium, than to host an Open Day for the community to meet Olympians, get active, try out a new sport and, above all else, have fun, Mike Stanley said. “We’re really pleased to have the opportunity to partner with New Zealand Post’s ActivePost programme to make this day possible.”

The ActivePost AUT Millennium Open Day will be a FREE event - which is all about having fun, physical activity and a chance to learn from individual athletes and inspirational teams like the Black Sticks who live full and exciting lives following their passion for sports.

The Open Day will feature opportunities for children of all ages (yes, including grown-ups) to have-a-go at a variety of sports; including hockey, athletics, and tennis. There will also be fun activities such as rock-wall climbing, potato sack races, three-legged races and tug of war. People can explore AUT Millennium’s extensive facilities, including the aquatic centre where they can watch lessons on water safety and Waka Ama demonstrations. There will even be a chance for families to go head-to-head with leading athletes in the ActivePost ‘Post Run’ – if they register in advance at www.mish.org.nz/openday.

Visitors could also get the chance to witness history in the making, as North Shore Swimming Club attempts a world record by swimming a 2.5km relay in under 30 minutes. That world record attempt will showcase Olympic swimmers alongside a host of up-and-coming talent.

Details of this FREE event are as follows:

ActivePost AUT Millennium Open Day
Sunday 4th November, 10am - 2pm
17 Antares Place, Mairangi Bay, Auckland

No tickets required – just come along

With a range of sports to experience, and special guest Olympians, the ActivePost AUT Millennium Open Day promises entertainment and action for everyone.

ActivePost is New Zealand Post’s new Health and Wellness community programme. Its goal is to get more New Zealanders active, contributing to improved levels of health and wellness, benefiting individuals, communities and ultimately New Zealand.

AUT Millennium is New Zealand’s National Training Centre for high performance sport, a world class centre of excellence in research and education, which also provides highly valued services to the community in sport, physical activity and healthy lifestyles.

ENDS

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