That is probably just as well.
Winters in Central Otago can be brutal, and the 11-year-old Shotover Primary School pupil — who will be the region’s sole representative at the annual AIMS Games — has already learned that a sunny disposition can overcome a lot.
There are the larger distances she needs to travel to get to tournaments, and the freezing conditions — and occasionally snow — that make constant golfing tricky.
"It’s annoying when you’re playing a tournament and it gets delayed because it’s too icy and the main thing I always worry about is my hands getting cold when I’m playing and my muscles not really doing the job," the 20.7 handicapper explained.
"But it’s not too bad if you wear the appropriate clothing, and frosts usually mean it’s going to be a nice day after."
The AIMS Games — a week-long intermediate-aged tournament in Tauranga — will feature an extraordinary 14,022 athletes from 431 schools around New Zealand and the South Pacific, but only one from the Queenstown Lakes District.
Nia dreams of becoming a professional golfer one day — Lydia Ko is her sporting hero — and also fancies her chances on a TV game show like Survivor.
She has already bagged a hole-in-one, as an 8-year-old, and has been following dad Ian around a course since she could walk.
She has played highly rated Queenstown courses like Jack’s Point and Millbrook, but more than anything just loves the challenge of golf.
"I like how every shot is different to the last and it doesn’t matter if you hit a bad shot because you can just improve with the next.
"You can get in all different situations and I like how it’s quite strategic and you have to think your way around."
Her grandmother Cheryl, who lives near Waihi, will be an enthusiastic cheerleader for the keen young golfer at AIMS, while Nia is also hoping she inspires more athletes her age to come with her next year.
"I’ve told a few of my friends and it feels like I’m representing Queenstown, which is good, and I just want to have fun and see if I can get a better score each day."
The Zespri-sponsored AIMS Games run from August 30 to September 5 and feature 27 different sporting codes.
- BY JAMIE TROUGHTON
