Finish Line Looms for Volunteer Gran
Rae Wenmoth with Sport Canterbury Programme Co-ordinator Tony Harvey.
Tomato stakes, sand from the beach, garden hoses and some odds and ends from the garden shed have played a key part in helping children come to grips with the basics of athletics – along with encouragement from warm-hearted "Granny" Wenmoth.
For 20 years Rae Wenmoth has visited schools from Waimate to Kaikoura running classes in KiwiSport Run. Jump. Throw (formerly KiwiSport Athetics).
It's believed Rae may have introduced 60,000 children to athletic skills such as putting the shot, clearing hurdles and throwing a discus.
All her work has been voluntary and came about by accident. "I had just stepped down as the secretary of the Canterbury Children's Athletic Association (after 10 years) and no-one else wanted to do it," Rae says.
"They were more into coaching whereas I could see the need for children to learn the basics without competition to start with. If you teach children the basics early, they will remember."
I believe you
shouldn't force kids into coaching until they're about 13.
After running the programme at a club for two years, it was introduced to schools, with immediate success. "Schools never have any spare money, so my husband Morrie made 40 hurdle standards from odds and ends from his shed, tomato stakes also came in handy and I made soft shot puts out of sand so there weren't any safety problems. Hose pipe proved useful for discuses."
Rae has improvised many times over the years as she has travelled widely on behalf of Sport Canterbury to introduce "Run. Jump. Throw" to teachers and pupils. She has drawers full of photos and letters from appreciative youngsters. "I believe you shouldn't force kids into coaching until they're about 13. You're going to lose them if you do it too early. There are no champions in this programme – just achievers."
Rae says one of the best things about her job has been all the fantastic people with whom she has worked.
Sport Canterbury Programme Co-ordinator Tony Harvey says his organisation and Athletics Canterbury are in Rae's debt. "She's an exceptional person and she has created the most vibrant programme within Sport Canterbury."
Rae, a mother of eight and grandmother of 20, hopes to devote more time to bowls and will continue as track recorder for athletics meets at QEII every Saturday.
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