Tom Walsh And Hamish Kerr Launch Aotearoa Athletics Trust To Support Funding Gaps For Athletes

Athletic giants Tom Walsh and Hamish Kerr have launched the Aotearoa Athletics Trust to help more New Zealand track and field athletes soar to new heights on the world stage.

After recognising the critical funding gap many elite track and field athletes face in order to qualify for major international competitions, the pair co-founded the Trust to be part of the solution and bring more equity to their sport.

"Traditional funding models in New Zealand leave many high-level athletes with a significant shortfall to reach major international competitions," said co-founder Tom Walsh.

"We've seen too many talented athletes miss opportunities simply due to financial constraints, and we wanted to do something positive that would help plug those gaps."

The newly established Trust achieved its first major milestone this week, with three of its first four inaugural grant recipients being selected to represent New Zealand at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The selection validates the Trust's approach and timing. Still at the top of their game, Walsh and Kerr join the athletes they helped fund in Tokyo, which include throwing queens Lauren Bruce and Tori Moorby.

The third Aotearoa Athletics Trust recipient who is competing at the upcoming World Championships is Nick Palmer. The support has been particularly significant as he prepares for his first World Championships appearance, following hot on Walsh’s footsteps in the circle.

“The extra funding from the Aotearoa Athletics Trust has allowed me to travel and compete to attain standards for this New Zealand team,” Palmer said.

“It is essential to fill this gap in support for athletes, and organisations like the Aotearoa Athletics Trust allow me more space to focus on what’s important, which is throwing far.”

The grants have helped alleviate financial pressure on the athletes by supplementing travel and competition costs, allowing them to focus on training and performance rather than fundraising concerns. This represents exactly the kind of impact the Trust was designed to achieve.

"What started as a vision to provide more meaningful support for athletes has quickly gained positive momentum," Walsh noted. "By addressing these funding gaps, we're enabling more black singlets on the world stage and creating clearer pathways in our sport."

The Trust is an independent, collaborative, athlete-led initiative that aims to add capacity to existing funding models.

"This isn't about replacing what's already there – it's about recognising that in today's high-performance environment, every athlete's pathway is different," explained co-founder Hamish Kerr.

"We're creating additional support channels that work alongside existing organisations, all of whom are already doing valuable work with limited resources.”

The Trust's community-driven model invites all New Zealanders to join the team and support more athletes on their journey at aotearoaathleticstrust.com

Looking ahead, the Trust plans to expand its support network through community engagement events that connect athletes, sponsors, and stakeholders. Alumni engagement will also play a key role, with past athletes contributing through fundraising and mentoring activities.

"We're wanting to build something sustainable here," Kerr emphasised. "This is about long-term impact, creating pathways for the next generation of athletes, and ensuring New Zealand continues to punch above its weight in international athletics.

The fourth inaugural grant recipient, New Zealand’s fastest man, Tiaan Whelpton, continues to benefit from Trust support as he looks ahead to the Commonwealth Games 2026.

New Zealanders can support the Trust's mission and help more athletes compete internationally ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games by visiting the website and donating online.

Kiwis can follow our athletes at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo from 13th to the 21st of September by tuning into World Athletics Plus online.

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