All Star Evening in Tauranga

With “super coach” Jack Ralston the main speaker and former All Black, Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Blues player Royce Willis as Master of Ceremonies attendees are in for a treat at an event in Tauranga on January 5th.

The topic for the evening is how the best become the best and Jack Ralston is the ideal person to comment. He has been one of New Zealand’s outstanding coaches and was instrumental in the development of elite athletes such as Hamish Carter, Cameron Brown and Terrenzo Bozzone. Jack’s coaching heritage goes back to the days of Lydiard, Snell and Halberg. In his roles with Nike Sports International he has travelled the world and worked with sporting superstars including the Brazilian Football team, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Jack has recently released a biography called The Sports Insider.

In keeping with the theme Ralston will be followed by a video of a training week of his young triathlete Michael Poole. While at secondary school Poole won New Zealand titles in triathlon, duathlon, multisport and cycling and represented New Zealand at the world Junior Elite triathlon championships as well as being selected for the NZU19 Road Cycling team. At the end of 2009 he won his first two senior elite triathlons and at the beginning of 2010 became the youngest ever winner of the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman at 18 years of age. On January 7 he will again compete in that race.

Willis will then call onto stage a panel of Poole, two times Olympian triathlete Elizabeth May of Luxembourg and - Triathlon); former World Junior 50m Freestyle Champion and 2008 Olympian Orinoco Faamausili-Banse-Prince. The three of them then have the opportunity to put to the audience what they consider is required to get to the top. Jack Ralston will then rejoin them and the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions.

The event doubles as a launch of a new project for the charity Tearfund. They have developed a programme called, “Poverty Cyclists” that will involve elite athletes who ride bikes – triathletes, road cyclists, track cyclists, etc. It will have several aspects but one of which will be web pages through which people will donate to TEAR Fund and make a contribution towards their chosen cyclist’s developing career.

All are welcome and the event is being held on Thursday 5th January, 7-9pm, at Tauranga Boys College. Tickets and more information from karengp@xtra.co.nz