Tuesday, 27 July 2010
FOUR Eastern Bay rowers were given a boost by one of Whakatane’s best athletes last week.
Renee Johnston, daughter of Olympic medallist Noel Mills, presented Jack Allison, Max Boonen and Steven Blackwell with their Noel Mills Trust grants.
The talented young Eastern Bay rowers, as well as New Zealand under-21 representative Regan Barkla, received $1000 each to go towards their many expenses in the sport.
Johnston handed the cheques over in a presentation at the Whakatane Rowing Club and the boys parents were also in attendance.
Johnston said she was happy to continue her father’s contribution to the sport.
Mills was an Olympic silver medallist, who died in 2004, and he set up the Noel Mills Charitable Trust to leave something to aspiring Whakatane rowers. Mills won his medal in 1972 at Munich in the coxless-four event.
Mills’ medal-winning team mate, and 1968 gold medallist, Dudley Storey came to Whakatane on Friday to oversee the presentation, which he also did last year when Edgecumbe College student Sharleen Murray was the recipient.
Last year was the first time that the grant has been awarded and Storey said it will be an annual occurrence.
Storey said Mills was very specific about the money staying in Whakatane. He said he was so attracted to the town.
No matter what came up and he was going to be a Whakatane club man.