Our Coaches

Senior distance running - Bazyl Piotrowski

Bazyl coaches our senior distance runners. 

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Youth/senior sprints - Murray Cumberpatch

I was brought up in Mt Roskill and started running at Roskill South as a youngster until about 13 years when Arthur Lydiard first awarded me prizes for long jump, shot put, 75 meters & 200 meters but suggested I would be a better sprinter & pointed me in the direction of my career coach Russ Hoggard who was based at Lynndale Athletics. My first season was at Owairaka briefly with Steve Erkkila when we competed before moving over to Lynndale and our coach & group.

 

I was at Lynfield College and first represented Auckland in athletics in 1974. While at Lynfield one of my teachers Rory Barrett was an Olympic Weightlifter and helped coach me in Weightlifting, although Rugby was my first passion. I represented Auckland, and New Zealand in Weightlifting & Athletics. I sustained an injury to my back lifting too much when I was young so asked the surgeon if I could follow athletics as I was doing OK.

 

I had a very successful career first setting season bests over 100 & 200 meters from the age of 15, before later moving out to 400 meters and in 1982 set new NZ resident records over 400 meter hurdles. In 1987 I left athletics to complete in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary in NZ's first Bobsleigh team and that was where I found great success.

 

I finally retired in 1995 but have still always been actively coaching & a small amount of competing for myself in Masters.

 

I have a good eye for spotting young running talent & helped many young gifted sprinters with soccer, rugby, touch, and rowing and who have gone on to be very successful. I was happy to come back to Owairaka and start helping the young runners with style & speed and watch the good improvements they are making.

 

My personal contact details are home phone 620-0677 or mobile 0211 277252

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Junior Lightning Bolts/general running – Nick Moore & Dion O’Neale

Nick and Dion are both Athletics New Zealand Community Coaches. They are trying to build a strong squad of junior runners focusing on distance running through the winter (the Lightning Bolts) and sprints and middle distance in the summer with the Lydiard Squad. The focus for both is on fun, skill development, trying things out, adventure and building friendships and confidence. 

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Jumps - Nanne de Haan

Nanne is the jumps and hurdles coach for the Lydiard squad juniors. 

 

In his own athletics career of some 20 years he figured out 2 things with regards to junior athletics:

• Having fun is the most important aspect. 

• And grassroots athletics is a team sport.

 

You can have fun in athletics when you have confidence in your skills. Confidence emerges when either you are a natural talent (few kids) or when you can rely on coaching on your individual technique (everyone else). Therefore Nanne tries to focus a lot on exercises to improve kids' technique and tailors these to the individual.

 

The team aspect is introduced by taking the kids on a joint sportive journey, taking part in events where the team result counts and setting shared developmental goals.

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Throws - TeRina Keenan

TeRina is the throws coach (discus & shotput) for our Lydiard squad juniors. 3x national discus champion, she brings great energy and has heaps of experience to share with our young athletes.

 

Halberg Squad coach - Winona Lee

Winona works with our youngest athletes, the under-7s, organising and delivering (with parent volunteers) a super-fun introduction to athletics. Here's a little more about Winona, in her own words...

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👧🏻 I first joined the club as a 5 year old in 2008 and have been involved both as an athlete and now as a coach ever since. Growing up, my favorite athletic event was the 800m and long jump. 

 

🌏 I am currently studying a bachelor of global studies and bachelor arts majoring in geography at the University of Auckland. 

 

🏃‍♀️I completed my first half marathon in April 2023. I am also a regular parkrunner at the local Owairaka parkrun. 

 

🏊‍♀️ I've been coaching the Halberg Squad for two seasons now and am also a swim teacher at the Cameron Pools - so I really enjoy working with kids! The Halberg Squad is all about making athletics fun for kids and introducing the skills needed so that they can continue with athletics as they get older. I design the night around the Athletics New Zealand Get Set Go programme which incorporates fun activities that build and develop children's basic movement skills. 

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Independent coach - Hamish Meacheam

Hamish is an independent coach who has worked with Owairaka athletes, including a number of high performance athletes. Hamish has an IAAF level II coaching qualification, is an Athletics NZ accredited coach, and is currently employed by Athletics NZ. 

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Hamish coaches all running events and has worked with national medallists from 100m through to marathon. 

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If interested in joining Hamish's squad, call or text 027 324 1976. Monthly coaching fees may apply.