21 minute read
Michael Brake Wins Olympic Gold in Tokyo
Michael Brake. Photos by Vera Búcsú @artofrowingnz
The Shore’s new golden guy! By Heather Barker Vermeer
Many people on the North Shore, and throughout New Zealand, were shouting at their televisions as the Kiwi Men’s Eight team surged ahead in their Olympic rowing final. In the boat was Michael Brake. The former Westlake Boys’ High student and North Shore Rowing Club member shared his experience with Heather Barker Vermeer on his return home…
What went through your mind as you sat on the start line in the final race?
Be relaxed and smile! Adrenaline runs high before a race as the mind wanders easily to how much the following five minutes will hurt. Being tense for a race never helps.
How do you sum up your feelings when you crossed the line and had won OLYMPIC GOLD?
Overwhelming pride (and pain). Pride not just for the boys in my boat but for everyone that played a part and supported the journey. We had so many people supporting us to chase the Olympic Gold dream. To pull it off during such challenging times was quite emotional.
What went through your mind as you listened to the national anthem on the podium?
Being on the podium and listening to the national anthem while surrounded by mates was the most amazing feeling. Again, pride is the primary feeling, but it can also be quite an emotional moment as it sinks in that we have finally achieved everything that we have been training for. For me it had been eight years of training just for that moment!
What was the reception like from your fellow Kiwi athletes?
I'm not going to lie, this was probably one of my favorite moments... possibly more so than being on the podium. Being around some of New Zealand's best athletes is awesome. Seeing the pride in their eyes as they performed a haka for us... I'll remember that for life.
How did you and the team celebrate the win?
Due to Covid protocols we couldn't really do much. We kind of just went back to our apartment with the whole crew and chilled out. Occasionally someone would laugh out loud and exclaim in disbelief, "Did that really just happen!?"
What was life like in the Olympic village this time and how did it compare to Rio?
Similar to Rio, we were in towers throughout a 20 building village. The food hall was incredible. It was effectively a two-storey mall with food from all over the world being served in a Covid-friendly way, buffet-style.
The cardboard beds were also funny. There was no shortage of theories coming through about them.
Credit to the Japanese, they did an incredible job making the village not only functional but sustainable and accommodating for Covid protocols.
What were your personal favourite moments of the whole Olympic experience?
Coming away with a gold medal was epic, but it had to be the New Zealand team culture that I enjoyed most. Kiwis have a reputation for being amazing sportspeople and for punching well above their weight but this year the team really took it to a whole new level. The New Zealand team felt like the New Zealand family.
Did you get to watch many other athletes compete? What was your favourite Olympic moment from elsewhere in the Games?
I only got to see rowers in action. We had to ship out straight after our competition, so I was lucky to have a week of Olympics on the TV in MIQ. My favourite moment had to be watching Lisa Carrington become New Zealand 's most decorated Olympian. Wāhine Toa!
How do you feel, reflecting on your performance?
This is an interesting one. I always assumed that winning a gold medal would feel like the job was done but reflecting on the journey has somewhat motivated me. Considering how much sacrifice and support from others went into getting me where I am today... If I can find the motivation to charge on for three more years, then I'll do it. Winning has really given me a stronger appreciation for representing New Zealand and North Harbour with pride.
What did you most miss about home during your stay in Japan?
The cooler climate, normal food, and not having to wear a mask. I'm not massive on seafood and the amount of times that I found myself eating a new type of fish while sweating and hanging a mask around my neck... I was ready to come home at the end, haha.
How much rowing success would you say comes down to physical strength and how much is dependent on mental fortitude?
The answer to this question will change depending on who you ask. What I do know is that you can't afford to leave any stone unturned at this level. If you want to be the best you need to put time and energy into optimising every possible variable. Strength, mental fortitude, nutrition, sleep, stretching, gear, heat acclimation, language, adversity management... the list goes on.
Do you set goals and visualise achievements or do you just live in the moment?
I'm definitely a goal setter. I set up a stepping stone path of small goals that get me to my big goals. Visualisation is good too but I'm pretty new to it. We started trying it this year in our efforts to leave no stone unturned and I'm not sure we got it quite right. Either that or it just wasn't that well suited to our group! Our time would probably have been better spent practicing the haka, haha.
What's next for you (aside from your first public speaking gig at Westlake – with a gold medal to show off - when lockdown allows)?
It's going to be a mix of gym training in preparation for what's next and public/corporate engagements. There are a lot of young people on the North Shore who could be inspired by seeing an Olympic gold medal and I'm always happy to be contacted to discuss a time that may work to visit schools.
Michael offers corporate public speaking engagements. He has a once-in-a-lifetime story about what it's like to perform as a team during a crisis and deliver results that aren't expected. He says, “It's a story that will motivate people in a corporate environment and is relevant to every business in New Zealand.” Email: michael.brake@olympian.org Tel: 0210443139
This feature was produced in conjunction with the North Harbour Club and Charitable Trust. The North Harbour Club has supported Michael with AIMES Emerging Talent Award and AIMES Sport Award grants as he has worked towards reaching his goals on the world stage. They don’t come much bigger than Olympic gold!
New parent Governors for Kristin School
From humble beginnings, with just a handful of small classrooms, Kristin had grown into a leading independent school, with a state of the art campus featuring modern innovative learning environments and some of the best sporting facilities in Auckland. Kristin is a school founded by families for families with values of Progress, Integrity and Love.
Our Vision is to provide our students with an exceptional, allround education that prepares them to be responsible global citizens who think creatively, communicate effectively and learn enthusiastically throughout life. As a School we have been the leaders in New Zealand in adopting IB and Mandarin. We continue to explore and introduce innovative ways to educate our students so they are future ready.
The foundation of this success has been the recruitment of outstanding educational leaders and Board members. We have recently gone through a process of recruiting four new parent governors to serve on our school board. As an indicator of the engaged parent community we enjoy, we had close to 50 applicants put themselves forward for consideration. We are delighted to announce the appointment of four outstanding new Parent Governors, effective August 2021.
The new board members are Matthew Bellingham, Mayurie Goodwin, Tammy McLeod & Dennis Secor. Matthew is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bellingham Wallace Chartered Accountants. Mayurie is the NZ Group Leader of global consultancy firm Arup Group, Tammy is a Trust Law expert and the Managing Director of Davenports Law and Dennis is a former CFO of NASDAQ and NYSE listed companies Fossil Group & Guess, Inc.
Wendy Chen, the acting Chair of Board said “As a board we were delighted to have secured four outstanding new members, who will bring significant experience and expertise to our board, along with a genuine passion to serve and further develop the school. We were humbled by the quality of the applicants and want to thank all who put themselves forward for consideration”
Mark Wilson, the Executive Principal of the School said “As the Executive Principal of Kristin School I am constantly energised by the wonderful parent community that Kristin enjoys. To have close to 50 interested parents highlights the wonderful engagement we enjoy. As the leader of the school I look forward to working with the new board members as we strive to deliver the very best learning experience for our children.
Matthew said “I am delighted and privileged to have been selected to join the Kristin Board and get the opportunity to work with such high calibre people. I am really looking forward to contributing to the future direction and ongoing success of the school and becoming further immersed in the Kristin community.”
Mayurie said “Tena koutou katoa. Our family has been a part of the Kristin whanau for the past eight years and I am delighted to now have the opportunity to bring my professional skills to serve on our Board to
Mayurie Goodwin. Tammy McLeod.
contribute to the shaping of our future generation. I am also looking forward to working with Mark, our Executive Leadership Team and our Board, to develop the future direction for our school.”
Tammy McLeod said “I am thrilled to be appointed as a Parent Governor on the Kristin Board. It is truly a privilege to serve and contribute back to the fabulous Kristin community. I am passionate about the ‘Kristin difference’ and look forward to working with the other Board Members as the school looks to the future.”
Dennis Secor said “I am delighted and honoured to join the Kristin board. Kristin is an outstanding school with a strong reputation for educational excellence. I am excited to contribute my commercial and financial experience to work with management and my board colleagues to carefully steward the school’s resources, build on its amazing legacy, and develop its long-term vision for the future.”
Matthew Bellingham.
Dennis Secor.
Five star luxury at Lexus of North Shore’s new showroom
The upstairs customer lounge.
In July the Lexus of North Shore team opened their new showroom. The design of their wonderful new facility is based on the Japanese principle of Omotenashi. Their aim was that the look and feel of the dealership should be like that of a five-star hotel, luxurious, warm and welcoming.
This is a home that truly complements the Lexus brand, one of the world’s finest range of premium motor vehicles.
“Omotenashi is a key part of the experience and what differentiates us from other luxury dealerships,” explains Lexus of North Shore CEO Mark Jago. “Omotenashi at Lexus of North Shore is to wholeheartedly look after our guests, and to take pride in anticipating and fulfilling our guests needs in advance. This has been applied to every aspect of our Lexus business.”
At Lexus of North Shore Omotenashi principles have been applied to the luxurious leather customer lounge areas with wi-fi, wireless charging, music and reading; to matching bathrooms with rolled cotton hand towels, quality soaps, candles and diffusers; to hospitality with refreshments such as Nespresso Coffee, T2 teas, Antipodes Water and daily treats from Toasted Café next door.
“Our customers are a focus like never before,” adds Mark Jago. “As you would expect from a five-star hotel, customers are greeted by our friendly concierge who will also assist by parking their car. Those who wish to wait in our customer lounge will be escorted upstairs and offered a refreshment and freshly baked muffin. A customer taking delivery of a newly purchased new or used vehicle is a special occasion at Lexus of North Shore. A place card welcomes them to the dealership and their vehicle is covered ready to be revealed. We recognise this is the start of a special relationship.” The Lexus of North Shore team includes Lexus Vehicle Consultants Helen Wang, Tristan Liu and Julie Grgicevich. They are supported by Kelsey Keegan (Reception/Customer Care), Joyce Vaz – (Customer liaison) and Service Advisors Steve Shannon and Patrick Duddy. They are ready and waiting to show off their fantastic new facility!
The Lexus range of new vehicles available from Lexus of North Shore includes 11 different options, luxury SUV's, comfortable sedan's and sporty coupes. They also have a good stock of pre-owned Lexus vehicles.
Talk to the team about any of these vehicles today and their ‘Lexus Electrified’ range. Hybrid vehicles and fully electric vehicles that are on their way – including the all-electric UX 300e.
Lexus of North Shore – 4 Link Drive, Wairau Valley, North Shore. Phone 09-442-3670 Visit: www.lexusofnorthshore.co.nz
The customer is a focus on every level.
A great showroom for premium motor vehicles. Waiting in comfort.
Meet the Team
Lexus of North Shore's new reception.
Helen Wang, Vehicle Consultant. Joyce Vaz, Customer Liason. Julie Grgicevich, Vehicle Consultant.
Kelsey Keegan, Reception and Customer Care. Steve Shannon, Customer Liason. Tristan Liu, Vehicle Consultant.
Local Life
In Channel Magazine we love highlighting people in our community who make a difference. Two local Devonport Peninsula people, Kate and Lauren, have created ‘Local Life NZ’ a social media entity doing similar online. We love what they do, so we’re now collaborating with them to include content in Channel Mag. This month they profile Mark Rainey, Di Humphreys, and Andy Thompson, as well as Buona Sera.
Mark Rainey
“You learn te reo Māori for a long time and then you finally speak it. It’s like a bird learning to fly - you take off, it’s a bit rough initially, but then you start to soar. There’s no better feeling.
My favourite expression is kia pai te haere or more colloquially in English, ‘go well’. It covers a lot of things. That’s the thing with te reo, you can never really get an exact translation. It’s all about the feeling.
I’m from a big Māori family in Taemaro Bay. We grew up listening to te reo Māori from the older generation and wider whānau, but I was never really fluent. I did a full immersion course at the Awataha Marae 15 years ago and it really opened my eyes. Now I really want to pass what I’ve learnt on to others - that’s how our language works. It’s all about the sharing. It’s not until you learn the language that you really see the Māori world. A lot of people have had their eyes closed for a long time.” – Mark Rainey, te reo teacher. Mark runs classes at Wakatere Sailing Club and the Devonport Community Centre. Last term 200 people attended Mark’s classes.
Di Humphreys
"I went in to have an eye test and came out with a job. I said to Pete (Stoute, the optometrist) that he really needed a shop front on the main street, and we’ve been here nearly four years now.
I’m not a professional window dresser -- I just love doing it. I saw the mop heads and thought I could do something with them, and then the brooms came along. I love ferreting around for stuff -- I’m a real op shop fan. My house is a real treasure trove, but I’m actually quite a minimalist at heart.
I do eight different window designs each year, including the four seasons. I think I bought up all of K-Mart’s plastic ducks for our current winter window -- you always need more than you’d think! The window’s a real talking point, and it certainly draws people in. I always add three small toys to represent the nationalities of all the staff who work here - a Kiwi, a Springbok and a British Bulldog.
I love it when I can hear children laughing about some of the quirkier things they can see in the window. That’s the real satisfaction I get from creating something visual -- it’s got to bring joy.” – Di Humphreys, assistant at Devonport Optometrists
Andy Thompson
“If we can survive this, we can survive anything. The impact of COVID on the travel industry has been massive, but green shoots were just starting to emerge before this current lockdown.
The onset of Covid last year was just the start of our journey. While everyone else was enjoying walks on the beach, all of my team were fighting fires every single day. I had to get my father on a plane to the UK last year just as the borders were closing around us. He’d lost both his parents - my grandparents - to COVID. That was tough. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was to make half my team redundant over a
Skype call. All I wanted was to be with them. They were vulnerable and emotional but they OUR PLACE Stories of Local Life understood. Not one of them argued or fought the situation. Honestly, I couldn’t wish for a better group of people. Now it’s just me on my own at the Devonport store -- down from 11 staff and two stores before COVID. My customers still come in to say hello even if they’re not making a booking. That’s what a community’s all about. I first came to New Zealand on a two-week holiday when I was 16, and never went back. That was 20 years ago. This is home now, and
I’m in it for the long haul.” Andy Thompson, owner/operator, House of Travel, Devonport.
If you have a story you would like to share or know of a local hero, contact Kate Dobbin & Lauren Lulu Taylor at hello@localifenz.com Follow Local Life NZ on Facebook and Instagram – @LocalLifeNZ
Late in 2020 we published a book “OUR PLACE” featuring 50 Local Life stories from our community. The interest saw us sell out of the first two print runs so we did a third run. We still have a few copies left that can be purchased. If you missed out and are interested in a copy then email us at hello@locallifenz.com. The book is available for purchase at Paradox Books, Devonport for $30.
“We’re all in this together. Laura Foote u are a bloody legend!! Oh Hannah you really are wee shining light in this dark time for many. Keep glowing n growing you special woman you. Thank you Sam for your welcoming smile, a joke or song. You cheer up my day. Sam is such a delightful and special human being who goes out of his way to be helpful to everyone. Poems, politics, saving the world are but a few of his attributes. Love the Patriot, guess that makes me a Patriot! We as a family have been going there for around 25 years. Amazing how little we need and how much we have. Ron- I know this man and what a privilege that is. I have many happy memories of this lovely Vic theatre, used to visit in the late 50’s - early 60’s. I’m a big fan of Devon on the Wharf. Nigar is very welcoming and warm hearted. Nilesh & Dosa- They are just lovely human beings, love them. LOVE Paradox books! A wonderful selection of books and great service always and ambience. It’s not what you do that’s important ...It’s the passion you do it with! Thanks so much for the yummy croissants Alan. Can’t wait to claim the table again on Wednesday mornings. Sam is wonderful and my dog Ivy is absolutely besotted with him. Sam, you are a legend ... such a star and we hope you keep on shining your bright light. Thank you for being you.We love Whites. Legends. Brilliant ♥ lovely! Amazingly inspirational. Laura- a very special uniquely gorgeous being ♥ One of Devonport’s unsung heroes! Laura’s positivity is inspiring. Just simply the best! Love this all the way! The Pub looks (and is ) Amazing. Well said Ken. You’re a good man ♥ Some of my favourite people right here! Kate Walden Ben Walden Bill and Gerri, two big hearts. Making a huge difference and changing lives. ♥ ♥ Thank you Kashish & Sam, you’re both so friendly and helpful, every time I walk in I feel so welcomed. Wonderful...there are some great people out there… It just goes to show how valued you are in the community Josie. You provide us a happy place to come to.” OUR PLACE Stories of Local Life
OUR PLACE – STORIES OF LOCAL LIFE DEVONPORT LOCAL LIFE NZ
Foodie Finds is a monthly column by Kate Dobbin and Lauren Lulu Taylor which profiles local food producers and their products in the Devonport area. If you have suggestions of products or producers for us to consider, please email Kate on kdobbin7@gmail.com or Lulu at Lulu@secretkiwikitchen.com
Missing the Med
The recent cold snap has us all hankering for warmer climes, and with that comes memories of the Med with its light-dappled lunch terraces, food bursting with sun-drenched flavour and endless carafes of local wine.
With overseas travel plans on hold at the moment, you can get your Med fix right here on Devonport’s Victoria Road with a cluster of local restaurants offering a range of Italian, Greek and Middle Eastern fare.
Buona Sera, Devonport’s longest-running, locally-owned restaurant, transports you to a beachside cove on the Mediterranean coastline with its warm welcome and friendly vibe. In true Italian style, Buona Sera is a popular neighbourhood haunt for family celebrations with several generations of locals marking special occasions there over the years. Owners husband and wife Plamen and Mino view their regulars as family -- waiter Robbie first remembers coming to Buona Sera with his parents when he was ten years old.
Dishes can be pared-back for kids, ingredients are fresh and seasonal, and you can bring your own wine (for a small corkage fee). The fish-lovers’ favourite Spaghetti allo Scoglio comes bursting with prawns, shrimp, scallops, calamari and mussels on a bed of spaghetti and as a hearty dish is perfect for sharing. And if fish is your thing, the Neopolitan Linguine alla Pescatora is hard to beat. These are dishes that Italian nonne used to make -- using homemade egg pasta for lasagne, fettuccine, cannelloni, ravioli and gnocchi, served with bolognese sauce, meatballs and ragu. Their crispy-based pizzas are popular for take-out as well as eat-in, and their four-flavour pizza bread makes a great starter (garlic, basil and capsicum pesto and parmesan) and great value too from just $8.
No trip to Italy is complete without gelato, and Buona Sera offers a range of flavours from tangy citron to creamy chocolate, along with firm favourites tiramisu and panna cotta.
Buon appetito!
PLEASE NOTE: at the time of going to press, Auckland was in Level 4 lockdown and all bars and restaurants are closed. Please check opening hours before visiting.
Buona Sera, 99 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel 09 445 8133 Open Tuesday – Sunday from 5.30pm till late. Also available on Uber Eats.
Other restaurants offering Mediterranean food in Devonport include: Nicolino’s, 103 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel 09 445 4444, open every day from 4-10pm Akdeniz, 5/15 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel 09 600 2125, open every day apart from Wednesday Portofino, 28 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel 09 445 3777, open every day
NORTH SHORE’S FAMILY CLUB FOR SAILING, BOATING & SOCIALISING
• The best sailing waters in NZ • Conveniently located beside Milford Marina • Affordable membership • Sailing, Boating & Social memberships • Strong Junior Sailing Programme • Social events for members every week • Fantastic Venue for Hire
