New Zealand Olympic high jump gold medalist Hamish Kerr is inspiring the next generation of Kiwi sporting talent right here in east Auckland. Among the rising stars who see him as an athletics role model is year 11 Pakuranga College pupil Jordan Viljoen, who’s making a habit of earning her own medals on the track. She and her schoolmate Leah Marais, who’s in year 10, were among the standout performers at the recent Jennian Homes New Zealand Track and Field Championships, staged in the South Island. Both were named national champions in several events. Representing Auckland at the track and field champs in Dunedin, Jordan won the under-16 women’s high jump with a new personal best result of 1.67 metres. She also took out the U16 women’s 80 metres hurdles and was part of the victorious squad that won gold in the U16 women’s 4×100 metres and 4×400 metres relays. Jordan finished second in the U16 women’s 300 metres hurdles with another personal best, of 45.78 seconds, and was third in the U16 women’s long jump with a personal best distance of 5.39 metres. “I was hoping to win the 80 metres hurdles and the high jump because those are the events I train for and I’m very dedicated to,” she says. “I was a bit nervous about the high jump because some of the athletes I don’t know.” She says the one person in athletics who she looks up to is Hamish Kerr, who won gold for New Zealand in the men’s high jump at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. “I would love to win gold at the Olympics in high jump as he did,” she says. For Leah, the recent track and field competition in the South Island was a success also. She won the U16 women’s 1500 metres in a personal best time of 4:38.43 minutes and was part of the team that won the U16 women’s 4×400 metres relay. Leah added a bronze to her medal haul by finishing third in the U16 women’s 3000 metres in a personal best time of 10:05.55 minutes. “The hardest race is the 3000 metres,” she says. “Obviously it’s the longer push, and at the very end my legs were so tired, but I had to push through to make sure I secured my bronze medal. The last three laps, they’re really hard.” They may have been hard, but the effort and perseverance were worth it for the young athlete. “I was really happy with my results,” Leah says. “Definitely the 1500 metres, because that was my main event I was really hoping to win. “It was quite a tactical race. It was more like sit in a pack and then go in the last 200 metres. “I do a lot of speed-related training so I have that extra kick at the end. “I do some stamina training as well for the longer distances, but my training varies depending on what races I’m doing “For the 1500 metres and the 800 metres it would be more speed, but for the 3000 metres I need to have that extra push for the long distance.”