Wakatipu High School

Charlie Manser

Wakatipu High School’s Charlie Manser is not afraid of keeping up a relentless schedule in pursuit of excellence in the classroom as well as in several sporting codes.

The 17-year-old reckons his motivation to succeed in everything he does is simply in his nature.

"I keep my mind busy, keep moving forward, and I always look at the end result."

Asked how he manages to fit so much in, he says he is "constantly thinking and planning" his week ahead.

It sometimes requires making difficult decisions about what to prioritise and what to sacrifice.

"It is a struggle, but I’d rather be juggling things than doing nothing.

"The pressure’s worth it."

He aims to keep a balance between his school work and his passion for sport.

As a South Island under-18 rowing squad member for the past two years, as well as being a multiple gold medallist at the South Island Secondary Schools rowing championships earlier this year, he is out on the water every morning before school during the summer.

Even his weekends are dominated by all-day training camps.

However, in winter he enjoys his other sporting loves of rugby and skiing.

He spends a lot of time on fitness.

"I work out once a day — I spend about two hours at the gym and 30 minutes at home doing rehab and stretches.

"And I do a lot of eating, just to keep up the body."

In the rest of the year, he plans to keep up with his school work and begin his build-up for the coming rowing season.

He is hoping to be selected for the national under-19 rowing squad.

Next year, he plans to start a degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Canterbury.

Achievements

NCEA level 1 with excellence (2023); NCEA level 2 with excellence (2024); 1st XV rugby (2025); 1st Otago Southland Secondary Schools’ snowsports men’s individual and team slalom (2022); Southland junior sportsman of the year (2023); 1st Otago Southland cross-country junior boys’ relays (2022); gold medal in Maadi Cup U17 quad sculls (2024); South Island U18 rowing squad (2024-25); five golds in South Island Secondary Schools Rowing Championships U17 and U18 single, double and coxed quad sculls (2025); prefect (2025); Academic Council lead prefect (2025).

Role model

Marley King Smith

Hopes for the future

To be selected for the U19 New Zealand rowing team, and to complete an engineering degree at the University of Canterbury.

Siena Mackley

Keeping up with Wakatipu High School’s Siena Mackley is no easy feat.

Siena holds the Southland running record for the women’s 3000m for ages 16 to 18, was the top-ranked runner in the under-18 women’s over-5000m in 2024, a gold medallist at the New Zealand Cross Country Championships in 2023 and 2024, and a three-time silver medallist at the national track and field championships in 2024 and 2025.

Last year she also placed second for U18 women at the 2024 Australian All Schools Cross Country Championships and represented New Zealand at the World Secondary Schools Cross Country championships in Kenya; the U20 World Cross Country Championships in Serbia; and at the Secondary Schools Athletics Association California Tour this year.

Her academic achievements are equally impressive.

As to how she fitted it all in, Siena tried not to view anything as "a burden".

"I think it’s important to treat running as a break from school, and school as a break from running, and then I do some volunteer work, so that gets to be my break from everything else."

Coming from an outdoorsy family, Siena spent a lot of time on Queenstown’s trails when she was younger and discovered her love of running at primary school, competing in cross-country events.

"Then I met my coach Neville [Britton] and I didn’t look back."

She founded a primary school cross-country club last year, hoping to encourage children to stay in the sport.

"Being in primary school here, I really loved running."

Recognising that in the next generation, she decided to "help them ... stay in the sport".

Achievements

Central Otago Sports Awards junior sportswoman of the year nominee, Wakatipu High School sports council lead prefect (2025); NCEA level 2 with excellence, WHS award for outstanding achievement in level 2 English, distinction in chemistry, English and physical education, WHS senior sportswoman of the year, highly commended for Southland Secondary School Sports Awards senior sportswoman of the year, Coast to Coast (three- person team) winner, founded Queenstown primary school cross-country club (2024); NCEA level 1 with excellence, distinction in English; The Robertson Family Trophy for all round effort and participation (2021-24)