HELPING YOUNG SPORTSPEOPLE TO THE TOP

Pinnacle is a sports support group with a very specific task. To help young New Zealand sportspeople to become world champions.

To achieve that goal, Pinnacle provides both financial and vehicle support. But its most important role is to supply young sportspeople with a wide range of skills outside the point of competition. And it’s these skills that consistently prove crucial for Kiwis seeking success at the highest international level.

Applications are accepted from competitors of any recognised New Zealand sport and the programme supports several people at any one time. Pinnacle contracts to mentor the athlete for a period of 12 to 24 months with the specific aim of winning a world title or equivalent at the end of that period.

Pinnacle is backed by Hyundai Motors New Zealand.

Current Pinnacle athletes

• Elijah Taylor, Rugby League
• Adam Hall, Paralympic skier
• Peter Taylor, Rower
• Mitchell Evans, Motor racer

Pinnacle Graduates

• Andrea Fountain, Wakeboarder (2006-2007)
• Andrew Murdoch, Sailor (2006-2007)
• Kate McIlroy, Distance runner / triathlete (2006-2008)
• Moss Burmester, Swimmer (2006-2007)
• Debbie Tanner, Triathlete (2007-2008) 
• Storm Uru, Rower (2007-2008)

 

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Pinnacle athletes at Olympic Games, Beijing 2008: Debbie Tanner (triathlon), Moss Burmester (swimming), Storm Uru (rowing), Andrew Murdoch (sailing)

All my life i have had this phrase repeated to me;

"You have more potential than you are achieving."

 You put faith in me when i had my back against the wall. Without this support I was considering walking away from the sport. I was well aware that i had to change every aspect of my life to make it to the Olympics. If I failed to make it to Beijing, I knew that my rowing dream was over.

From the first meeting with Ian, I knew needed to get into this programme. I knew that i had to change a lot of things and it was obvious this was my vehicle, that there are numerous ways of looking at situations and many different ways of achieving a goal.

It becomes a process from which I now lead a significant part of my life. When you live your life in the semi-enclosed world of a professional athlete are your perceptions of situations really right? Well mine were not, they still are not but i firmly believe that I have a better understanding of the reality of most things going on around me now. For this I offer many thanks for now I live a much more satisfying and happy life.

So how are things different now from when I entered the programme?

•   I recently won GOLD in the Men's Lightweight Double Sculls at the 2009 World Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland.

•   I went from being ranked 5th in New Zealand in lightweights to being ranked 7th in the world at the Olympics.

•   I am now in a position where i believe that we can win an Olympic Gold medal at London 2012.

•   I went from  having no sponsorship to being a professionally sponsored athlete.

•   I am now a lifestyle ambassador through SPARC to row, taking off significant financial pressure.

"It could be possible, it is possible, it will happen."

 You have had a remarkable impact on my life and my professional rowing career. Words cannot really convey my thank as you have given me a huge hand at a time when I really needed support, guidance and knoweldge. It's very rare to find someone who is willing to walk the same road as you and nut everything out. What you guys are doing is wonderful and I wil continue to spread this word throughout my career. I believe I am now starting to realise my potential.

Forever my thanks,

Storm Uru

Other comments from Pinnacle athletes;                                 

"I certainly feel the programme has helped me achieve better results this season and made me a stronger athlete.

"The benefits of what I have leant through my involvement with pinnacle will only continue to assist me in the future as I work towards my future goals.

"I believe one of the strengths of Pinnacle is the quality of the various specialists used in covering the "12 Pillars of Success".

"The programme is very thorough and essentially works with you in taking a "no stone left unturned" approach to your sporting career insuring you reach full potential."

                                            Andrew Murdoch, Pinnacle Graduate

"To become a true internationally elite athlete, you need to be professional and have skills in the areas which are not a direct influence on your sport, but can indirectly affect it.

"The Pinnacle programme recognises this and helps athletes to up-skill and develop these important areas.

"I now personally feel a lot more secure and on a level playing field with athletes from around the world, even though most of them have much more financial backing.

"The Pinnacle programme has been hugely helpful …… I think it’s great that Hyundai and Pinnacle have had the foresight and generosity to help New Zealand athletes like this, espically as it provides little benefit directly to themselves but so much to the athletes."

                                            Moss Burmester, Pinnacle Graduate.

"The great thing about these skills is that I will have them for the rest of my life in whatever career I choose to go into."

"Mental conditioning for me was an absolute winner. Giving me the knowledge of my own support system within myself to lean on when situations, results, environments are not all as they should be."

"I think this has been an amazing learning process to go through and has made me a stronger competitor and a more focused rider coming from an action packed sport where it can be just about having fun."

                                            Andrea Fountain, Pinnacle Graduate.