Academy Southland, which was first piloted in 2005, provides a range of support for many of Southland’s best young athletes, including mental skills training, athlete life, nutrition and strength and conditioning at the Mike Piper Training Centre.
Seventeen-year-old Millie, a student at St Peter’s College, received the top award for Foundation Year athletes for commitment in the first year of the programme.
Millie represented New Zealand at the Australian secondary schools cross country championships, and also won the Young Enterprise Scheme’s Southland Company of the Year title recently.
Academy co-ordinator Carly Anderson said Millie, who was coached by her cousin and Academy Southland graduate Hannah Miller, had made the most of the opportunities the programme provided.
"Millie is a high achiever and she’s been able to use the things she’s learned this year to help fine tune the skills she already had. Despite the additional travel required to take part, Millie has made it work."
Millie has a busy end to the year, with the national finals of the Young Enterprise Scheme and the New Zealand secondary schools athletics championships both happening in early December.
Central Southland College rugby player Olivia Gill was also honoured for her commitment in the leadership year of the two-year academy programme. — Allied Media
