default-output-block.skip-main
Sport | Waka ama

Tere family prep for Waka Ama Nationals

For the last five years the Tere family have put all their energy into Waka Ama through the Waitakere Outriggers Club. Māori Tere is the president of the club and three of his kids paddle and are preparing themselves for the Waka Ama Nationals at Karāpiro.

For the last five years the Tere family have put all their energy into Waka Ama through the Waitakere Outriggers Club. Māori Tere is the president of the club and three of his kids paddle and are preparing themselves for the Waka Ama Nationals at Karāpiro in two weeks time.

The family that paddles together, stays together, but there's also good rivalry between the siblings.

Inamaru Tere says, “it's a fun sport to do, everybody just comes together and bonds and stuff.”

Maori Kava Tere says, “Sometimes its kind of hard trying to beat my older brother but most of the time.”

Teremoana Tere adds, “you don't want the younger fulla to beat you so we push each other even my little sister so we try and push each other real hard.”

Māori, their dad said when the kids were younger it was hard to take them to different sports so they had a family meeting to choose which sport the family would pursue.

He says, “we pick league netball and waka ama so which one everyone go for waka ama so that's how I got the whole family in waka ama.”

It has been a pretty tough daily schedule leading in to the Nationals though with early morning single sessions, on land sessions at the Trust Stadium and then back on the water afterwards.

Maori Kava Tere says, “my driver is probably my dad, always pushing to get up early mornings hard but gotta do the training"

Inamaru says, “its hard but you just got to stay motivated and keep pushing through the pain.”

What's better than that.