New Dunedin Masters Games manager Vicki Kestila at the Lion
Foundation Arena at the Edgar Centre yesterday. Photo by
Gregor Richardson.
Vicki Kestila has been appointed Dunedin manager for the
New Zealand Masters Games.
Kestila (41) comes into the job after long experience in
customer services in Dunedin. She replaces Aaron Joy, who
held the position from 2003 to 2012.
Her last job was with the Otago Rugby Football Union for five
years.
"I was heavily involved with the World Cup where I was
responsible for our 250 stadium volunteers," Kestila said.
Her role with the ORFU was to organise volunteers and control
the sale of food and beverages for five All Black test
matches and 20 Super rugby matches.
Kestila grew up in Dunedin and was educated at Kaikorai
Valley High School. She is married to Michael and the couple
have three adult children - Anton, Layton and Morgan.
She rowed with the Port Chalmers-United club for three years
when she was a teenager.
Kestila has spent three weeks getting to grips with her new
job and will be responsible for the delivery of the largest
multi-event sports competition held annually in New Zealand.
She will have her first major task next week when she
promotes the 2014 New Zealand Masters Games at the Canterbury
A and P Show in Christchurch.
She will visit Wanganui next month to check out planning for
next February's 24th New Zealand Masters Games there and will
return north for the Games.
New Zealand Masters Games chairman John Bezett attended the
Pan Pacific Masters Games in Brisbane this week.
Kestila plans to meet sports co-ordinators before Christmas
and is seeking ideas about sports that could be added to the
Games in Dunedin.
One of the major decisions to be made is the headquarters
village for the Games. It was at the Forsyth Barr Stadium
this year and before that was at the University of Otago
Student Union.
There were 6142 athletes competing in 72 different sports at
this years New Zealand Masters Games in Dunedin.
Kestila is planning to get 7000 competitors for at the 25th
Games, from February 1-9 2014. It will be the 12th Masters
Games held in Dunedin.
This year, 50% of the competitors came from Dunedin, 15% from
Canterbury, 13% from Southland, 9% from the rest of Otago, 7%
from the North Island, 3% from Australia, 2% from Marlborough
and the West Coast, and 1% from other overseas venues.
25th NZ Masters Games
At a glance
Date: February 1-9, 2014.
Venue: Dunedin.
Games manager: Vicki Kestila (41).
Family: Michael (husband) and sons Anton, Layton,
Morgan.
Education: Kaikorai Valley HS.
Experience: Customer services with ORFU 2007-12.
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