Counties Manukau Orienteering Club (CMOC) has elected its youngest ever executive committee member in 14-year-old Saint Kentigern College student Tim Bacchus.
Tim has been involved in orienteering since 2021 and joined the CMOC executive committee as the youth representative in 2022.
His election to the executive committee as a member for 2023 gives him full voting rights and the ability to help shape the future of orienteering locally and nationally.
CMOC co-president, Anthony McGivern says, “As a club we focus a lot on delivering events to schools and students, with a goal of providing an active and healthy recreational pathway that will contribute to their wellbeing for life.”
McGivern says that youth are the future of orienteering and the leadership team will benefit from electing a younger member as an equal.
“We will provide them with exposure to governance and a mentor to help their academic and professional development and in return we will get their fresh way of thinking, different perspectives and authentic representation of their student peers,” says McGivern.
Tim, a year nine student, says he is grateful to have the ability to represent CMOC and is looking forward to getting to know youth across the region as well as what interests them.
“I think youth in sport are very important. I would like to try to break down the school barriers and unite us as CMOC youth, not just youth representing their schools at orienteering,” he says.
Tim says he enjoys the fitness aspect of orienteering and how mentally challenging it is.
“I want to get better. I’m seeing a great improvement in how well I’ve been doing over this year compared to last year but right now I’m working on my stamina, speed and finessing my navigational skills,” he says.
Tim suggests that if people want to give orienteering a try, they should go to one of the CMOC events.
“I think people should definitely give orienteering a try. I’m personally very much looking forward to the event CMOC is running at Eden Park in 2023. I think that’s going to be great,” says Tim.
