Hard work brings success

Otago Girls' High School pupil Kiano Pelasio has represented Otago in three sports. Photo by...
Otago Girls' High School pupil Kiano Pelasio has represented Otago in three sports. Photo by Craig Baxter.

Life is a balancing act for Otago Girls' High School pupil Kiano Pelasio, who knows how to successfully mix three sports with schoolwork.

She has played for Otago junior teams in touch, netball and basketball.

Pelasio was a child prodigy at netball and started playing the game at the age of 7.

She has always been a key member of Otago provincial teams and her highlight in the sport was to attend the New Zealand youth development camp in Cambridge in 2012.

Touch is the sport in which she has made the most progress since starting the game at the age of 9.

Last year, she was in the New Zealand under-15 team that played in the Australian state championships on the Sunshine Coast.

In September, she will compete for the New Zealand under-17 team, also on the Sunshine Coast, and she is a member of the New Zealand under-19 training squad.

Pelasio enjoys all the sports she plays.

Touch is full-on in the summer and she trains or plays the sport most days of the week.

''Netball is not so full-on in the winter months and I have more time for myself,'' she said.

Sport is an important part of Pelasio's life.

''I like meeting new people. I like being in a team and getting to know each other. I like the challenge and going to tournaments.''

She understands that academic grades are also important and has good advice for others who would like to follow in her footsteps.

''You have to train heaps and get a good balance between sport and school work,'' Pelasio said.

 


FAST LANE

Name: Kiano Pelasio (15).

School: Otago Girls' High School.

Sports: Touch, netball, basketball.

Achievements: New Zealand touch teams 2013 (under-15) and 2014 (under-17), under-19 squad member; New Zealand youth netball camp 2012; Otago junior representative in touch, netball and basketball.



 

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