Previous Years Recipients
Sponsors
The Adastra Foundation acknowledges the support of:
Our Supporters
The Adastra Foundation acknowledges the support of:
Meet @ben_pilbrow born and raised in the mighty BOP where he attended Tauranga Boys College! Ben is currently working on completing his second year as a building apprentice and continues to train after work!!
Ben said “ I applied for the Adastra scholarship as I felt that it was an awesome opportunity for me to grow as a person outside of just kayaking, and a way to become a better all round athlete and person which is super important to me”
Bens goals that are a driving force for himself is to make the Under 23’s New Zealand Canoe Slalom team next year and go to the World Champs in France! He is also heading to Europe midway through next year for 6 months to compete in the European circuit!
One of Ben’s biggest inspirations is his coach Nico Baudoin! Ben said “He is a very hard working and knowledgeable guy who has continually pushed me to reach my full potential as an athlete. His dedication to coaching and the sport has been very inspirational for me and he is always looking for ways to help me improve”. Just like Nico, we love offering epic opportunities for all our recipients and can’t do it without the support from our funders, especially @tectnz and Craigs Investment Partners! Craigs Investment Partners ... See MoreSee Less
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Meet @netanasamia Born and raised in the beautiful Hawkes Bay, Napier. He now attends Tauranga Boys College and is Training/Playing with the Western Bay of Plenty Phoenix Club Men’s Team! A special place that holds immense significance for Tana is the Napier Boys High School gymnasium. It’s where many cherished memories were created alongside his late father, making it a source of inspiration and comfort.
Tana captained the Tauranga Boys College to victory at the School Nationals, where he also earned the tournament’s MVP award and most recently, being selected for the Volley Blacks Training Squad! These achievements have helped Tana to stay focused and motivated on his goals to one day have the opportunity to play Volleyball overseas in college or professionally!
Looking ahead, Tana envisions a future in coaching, refereeing, or managing—essentially anything that will keep him connected to the volleyball community.
Tana said “I applied to Adastra to help fund my sporting endeavours, It has helped alleviate financial burdens, as well as relieved stress from my mum who has been taking care of me alone for the past three years”. A massive thank you goes out to @tectnz and all our funders for their continuous support in our recipients journeys! ... See MoreSee Less
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Meet @taine_larsen !! Born and raised in Tauranga where he attended Tauranga Boys College and is currently studying BCom- Finance & Economics in Christchurch whilst also continuing his passion for a multitude of different genres of music!! Taine froths spinning the decks and mixing beats to progressive house music and also dabbles in writing and producing his own songs which you can listen to on his page @taine_music @scar_n.z
Taine has a multitude of talents and achievements which align perfectly with his core values of Resilience, Integrity and Passion! These values have helped Taine to maintaining excellent grades, become head Prefect and gained NZ rep honours at the NZ youth symphonic winds! When he’s not writing or producing music you can find him riding in the forest as he said “There’s something freeing and creative about it”
Taine has some exciting goals in the works which includes releasing progressive house music, challenging himself with plans to race multisport in the coming years, as well as working on a media & Youth Development Project! We can’t wait to see what he can do. A quote that Taine does his best to live by is “Consistency is key, and failure is a lesson that brings you closer to success”.
Taine has said “I’m immensely grateful for the support that both @tectnz and Adastra Foundation continues to provide me.
- This year the funding allowed me to attend the workshop in Mt Maunganui where I took away some very valuable learnings
- Allowed me to purchase Logic Pro Studio software to record my music at an industry-standard level.
- Pursue a new media project with a vision to empower the next generation and foster growth in youth and young adults.
It’s great to see exactly how our support has allowed our recipients to learn, grow and thrive within their chosen talents! As always a massive thank you to Tect and all our supporters! ... See MoreSee Less
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Meet @jade_fairley_ !Born in Taupō, she grew up on a farm in Reporoa where she attended Reporoa College from Year 7 to 11 and then moved to Rotorua Girls’ High for her final two years of high school. A special place that fills her cup would be anywhere her whānau is, and that’s usually at home.
Jade has some incredible achievements that she’s very proud of, including coaching her U13 Rotorua B team last year and winning their final! Jade has also been a part of the New Zealand School Sport Commission, where she served as deputy chair, was involved with emerging leaders for BBNZ, and was a member of the Rotorua Labour Rangatahi Advisory Council. When Jade was 10, she wanted to be a Silver Fern. Her goals now are to earn a university degree and continue advancing within Basketball New Zealand, whether that involves coaching, refereeing, or mentoring.
Jade applied for our scholarship to gain better opportunities to fund her sports, meet new people, and access different outreach and support groups outside of her sport. She said, “I have loved the support that the foundation has given me! I know that I don’t have to worry about financing my next tournament and can focus on upskilling and development. I am ever so grateful, and I don’t think I would’ve achieved half of the things I have without the help and support the foundation offers. I have recommended many others for the scholarship, as I believe they would benefit from it.”
Jade would like to thank her coaches Sue and Darell Pene, all her mentors, and a huge thanks to her whānau who have grounded, supported, and comforted her! As always, a massive thank you to our friends at @tectnz and @codimerito for their support! ... See MoreSee Less
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2025 Scholarship application will CLOSE on Sunday 8th September at 11:59pm!!!!
Don’t leave it too late to apply!!
Open to young talented sportspeople, dancers, singers and musicians from the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.
See the full criteria and application details on our website:
www.adastra.org.nz ... See MoreSee Less
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Julian Dean is holding an introduction to Meditation course in Tauranga.
Julian has been a presenter at our Adastra workshops and as well as being vastly experienced in the high performance environment, embraces and teaches the quiet and peacefulness of meditation.
Get in touch with Julian directly if you are interested in joining the course. ... See MoreSee Less
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This is the LAST WEEK to apply for 2025 ADASTRA FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS!!!
Applications close on Sunday 8th September.
Are you eligible, or do you know someone who is eligible, and would benefit from financial and personal development support for their sport or performance endeavour???
If so, share this and get them to apply for an Adastra Scholarship.
Open to talented, young people from the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, who have identified financial need.
Check the eligibility criteria on our website and apply online.
www.adastra.org.nz ... See MoreSee Less
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Meet @matt.ruetsch ! Born and raised in Einsiedeln, Switzerland and made the move to Aotearoa when he was 13! Matt attended St Paul’s in Hamilton and is currently studying at the University of Waikato! A special place that fills Matt’s cup is Queenstown; he says the mountains and scenery are very similar to where he grew up in Switzerland, which makes it feel like home. Matt upholds strong values such as honesty, fairness, and teamwork on a daily basis.
Matt has had some remarkable achievements in his career that we’d like to highlight. In 2022, his team placed 3rd at the National Rankin Cup. He has also demonstrated academic excellence at the University of Waikato and was selected for the future Black Sticks squad. He hopes that this success will continue and is striving to play in the Junior World Cup in India next year and eventually move across the globe to play in the NHL (ice hockey). After his hockey career, he plans to use his degree to work as a software engineer or in the cybersecurity sector.
Matt said, “I am loving the support from the Adastra Foundation and would 100% recommend it to others, not only for the financial support but also for the other opportunities offered in the workshops that help support my career.”
As always, a massive thank you to all our funders who have supported our recipients!
📸 @kimwiharepics ... See MoreSee Less
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Meet @_samiconrad ! Born and raised in Rotorua, she attended John Paul College and is currently studying for a Law and Arts Conjoint degree at the University of Auckland while also dancing at various Auckland dance studios. A place that holds significant value and comfort for Sami is Amjazz Dance Studio; it’s a safe haven for her where she has learned some great skills that she applies in everyday life.
Sami has achieved some incredible things, including her team placing 7th at the World of Dance Championship last year, her impressive work as Dance Captain at JPC in 2023, and her ability to continue dancing while studying full-time this year. When Sami was 10 years old, she wanted to be a Silver Fern and the first female police commissioner of New Zealand. She now says, “However, I want to finish my law degree and pursue a professional dance career. My dream is to become a backup dancer on a world tour.”
Sami applied for the Adastra Scholarship because she had seen the great support provided to other recipients. The funding has helped Sami immensely while she balances dancing and studying full-time. Sami said, “I have thoroughly enjoyed the support, specifically during the two workshop days, which have taught me lifelong lessons. It was also great to make friends with other recipients.”
Sami added, “Overall, I am so happy and blessed to be an Adastra recipient for 2024 and to have the support from Craig’s Investment Partners. Their help has been invaluable to me; no words can express my gratitude, and I am extremely thankful.”
📸 @bryonyenz @jpc.photography.design
📸 @photos.by.eryk ... See MoreSee Less
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