Community News

Tracy Cameron - Training Update from New Zealand

Fri Oct 22, 6:38 PM

Hello All,

The beginning of our training camp here in Wanganui, NZ got off to a slow start.  No, it was not due to the usual jet lag, it was due to something completely unexpected.....We were not actually allowed to row on the river until the local Maori gave us their blessing!  Initially, we were quite taken back by the two day delay in the commencement of training, but believe me, it turned out to be an experience I will never forget.
 
The ceremony was very traditional to the māori tribe. We watched a haka or warrior dance, this dance is normally preformed to welcome guests, acknowledge great achievements, amuse the other town folk and also often performed before rugby games, which is one of the most popular sports in NZ. We also took part in a hongi, which is an interesting nose to nose greeting or kiss, sharing a hongi with a māori tribe member symbolizes that you are intermingling the breath of life, it dates back to the Greek mythology times, it also makes you no longer a visitor, but instead a "tengata wenula" or one of the people of the land. We even did an exchange of gifts between our cultures, we gave them a wooden totem, a jade inuksuk, and lucky loonie's that we tossed into the river, they accepted our gifts and our presence by welcoming us into their Marae, or their sacred meeting place within the village. Once there, they shared stories about their history and fed us an amazing meal.  

After the welcoming in the village, two of the men from the village and Lindsay (my 2x partner) and I were selected to travel down river in the war canoe with the "warriors".....It was huge honor to be in the canoe with them....We learned the pattern of their strokes and listened carefully as they chanted and sang sacred songs along the way. It was quite an amazing experience. If you visit my YouTube page, there's a video posted from a fellow rower that documents our warm welcome.
 
So our journey has been blessed and we are well on our way to one of the best training camps to date

Thanks for reading everyone and I will update you as often as I can

Tracy...

A Good News Story - Skate Boarders

Mon Oct 18, 6:41 AM

       At the beginning of the summer Bradley Dawson, Steven Hart and Nick Halkyard tried to stop a vandal who was filling the Shubenacadie Wading Pool with dirt. The boys were unable to stop the individual. One boy was assaulted and another had his skateboard cracked when someone jumped in to help the vandal. The boys would not retaliate and although they couldn't prevent the damage, they tried.

For their effort, on Tuesday October 12th, we presented the youth with skateboard decks purchased with generous donations from HAF Skate and Tattoo in Truro and the Shubenacadie Lions CLub .