Performance Coaches

Coaches Korero – July 2025


July 2025 Issue No. 23

Koutou ngā matanga nō te ao hākinakina, tēnā kotuou

Welcome to the July 2025 edition of Coaches Kōrero.

Coaches Kōrero was established to create a forum to
connect, support and celebrate our Performance Coaching
Community in New Zealand.

In this issue we profile athletics coach Nuree Greenhalgh
and bowls coach Kevin Smith. We also share Steve Tew’s
insights from an Olympic and Paralympic debrief workshop that he represented New Zealand at.

We also are excited to announce our new commercial
partner Penberthy, who will be our insurance advisers. As
a member you will be able to receive advice across the
following areas:

  • Medical Insurance Advice
  • Life and Income Protection Insurance Advice
  • General & Property Insurance Advice
  • Mortgage Broking & Loan Structure Advice
  • KiwiSaver Advice

We now have 65 members, a continuation of the recent
positive momentum in this space. A strong and vibrant
membership is key if we are to achieve our objectives. We all know the power of a personal recommendation, if there is a coach out there you know that you think would benefit from joining – please suggest it to them. If you are reading this and you are not yet a member, please
click here to complete the membership form.


If you would like more information about Te Korowai or
support services you can contact Andrew Gaze on
[email protected] or 021 443 523


Ngā mihi,

Tom Willmott

Chair

Insights from post Olympic and Paralympic
debrief workshop.

Last month Steve Tew, the Director of High
Performance represented New Zealand at a post
Olympic and Paralympic debrief workshop.
Some key takeawys were:

  • We are certainly not alone in the challenges we
    face in high performance sport in this country,
    nor in the approach we are taking to try and
    maximise opportunities that lie ahead.
  • Funding is a significant challenge for everyone.
    Many countries’ budgets are static or being
    reduced with cost escalation impacting the real
    value of investment. One country reported not
    having an increase in its programme for 15 years.
  • Prioritising is a very real focus for most, in terms
    of sports, campaigns, and athletes capable of
    winning medals in LA and investment beyond LA
  • Top 8 projection is a common benchmark for
    investment
  • Winning remains a key focus with an increased
    emphasis on winning well and the wellbeing of
    athletes – but there are still some struggling
    with the tension, perceived or otherwise,
    between winning and wellbeing
  • An increasing influence of professional sports
    and private leagues on athletes and fans, and
    in creating competition to retain and develop
    world leading coaches and other experts
  • A keen awareness that innovation/intelligence/
    research is critical to help gain competitive
    advantage but difficult to prioritise given fiscal
    constraints
  • The importance of quality and contemporary
    coaching
  • An increasing tendency for athletes to be
    more autonomous and determine their own
    campaigns.

Kevin Smith


As he turns 70 years of age, Kevin Smith shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, quite the opposite; in some respects he’s just getting started.


Smith has been involved in lawn bowls since he was 17 years old, when he watched his brother pick up a national title. Since then, he’s done pretty much anything and everything the sport has to offer, playing, administrating, mentoring, coaching. The fact that for that entire period of time, he has mixed it with his other great vocation in life, mental health nursing, makes Smith’s achievements even more incredible.

Read the full article

Nuree Greenhalgh

Becoming an athletics coach was never part of the plan for primary school teacher Nuree Greenhalgh


Despite coming from a family of coaches and having
competed nationally in the 400m and 800m, Greenhalgh was content supporting her daughters from the side lines—until a pivotal moment changed everything seven years ago.

Read the full article

The Month that Was – June2025

ATHLETICS – TOUCH THE CLOUDS FESTIVAL. GRAFELING, GERMANY

  • Scott Simpson coached Olivia McTaggart to 2nd in the Pole Vault.

ATHLETICS – MEETING NIKAIA. NICE, FRANCE

  • Craig Kirkwood coached Sam Tanner to 4th in the 1500m.

ATHLETICS – 7TH IRENA SZEWIŃSKA MEMORIAL, BYDGOSZCZ, POLAND

  • James Mortimer coached Zoe Hobbs to 1st in the 100m
  • Hayden Hall coached Tom Walsh to 5th in the Shot Put

ATHLETICS – WORLD ATHLETICS DIAMOND LEAGUE. ROME, ITALY.

  • Hayden Hall coached Tom Walsh to 1st in the Shot Put.
  • James Sandilands coached Hamish Kerr to 6th in the High Jump.
  • Scott Simpson coached Imogen Ayris to 8th in the Pole Vault.

ATHLETICS – 61° PALIO CITTÀ DELLA QUERCIA. ROVERETO, ITALY.

  • Wikus Olivier coached Ethan Olivier to 3rd in the Triple Jump.

CYCLING – UCI BMX WORLD CUP. SARRIANES, FRANCE (ROUND 1)

  • Matt Cameron coached Leila Walker to 5th.

ATHLETICS – WORLD ATHLETICS DIAMOND LEAGUE. STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.

  • Dathan Ritzenhein coached George Beamish to 2nd in the 3000m Steeplechase.
  • Craig Kirkwood coached Sam Tanner to 8th in the 1500m.

ATHLETICS – WORLD ATHLETICS DIAMOND LEAGUE. OSLO, NORWAY.

  • Wikus Olivier coached Ethan Olivier to 6th in the Triple Jump.

ATHLETICS – NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS. EUGENE, USA.

  • Ray Treacy coached Kimberley May to 6th in the 1500m.

ATHLETICS – PAAVO NURMI GAMES. TURKU, FINLAND.

  • James Mortimer coached Zoe Hobbs to 1st in the 100m.
  • Dathan Ritzenhein coached George Beamish to 7th in the 3000m Steeplechase.
  • Scott Simpson coached Imogen Ayris to 2nd and Olivia McTaggart to 3rd in the Pole Vault.

ATHLETICS – WORLD ATHLETICS DIAMOND LEAGUE. PARIS, FRANCE.

  • Scott Simpson coached Imogen Ayris to 9th and Olivia McTaggart to 10th in the Pole Vault.

CYCLING – UCI BMX WORLD CUP. PAPENDAL, NETHERLANDS.

  • Kurt Pickard coached Rico Bearman to 1st (Round 3) & 30th (Round 4).
  • Matt Cameron coached Leila Walker to 13th (Round 4) &18th (Round 3).

CYCLING – UCI MOUNTAIN BIKING WORLD SERIES. VAL DI SOL, ITALY.

  • Sam Thompson coached Sammie Maxwell to 2nd in Cross Country Olympic and 12th in the Cross
    Country short course.

CYCLING – UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP. LEOGANG, AUSTRIA.

  • Sam Thompson coached Sammie Maxwell to 2nd in the Cross Country Olympic and 3rd in the Cross-Country Short Course.

YACHTING – 2025 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, 49ER, 49ERFX, & NACRA. THESSALONIKI, GREECE.

  • Markus Sommerville coached Seb Menzies & George Lee Rush to 1ST in the 49er’s.

ROWING – ROWING WORLD CUP. VARESE, ITALY.

  • Mike Rodger coached Oli Welch & Ben Taylor to 1st in the Men’s Pair.
  • James Coote coached Stella Clayton-Green & Kathryn Glen to 3rd in the Women’s Double.
  • Gary Roberts coached Finn Hammil & Ben Mason to 3rd in the Men’s Double & Logan Ullrich to 7th in the Men’s Single.
  • Tom Stannard coached Alana Sherman, Isla Blake, Beckie Leigh & Ella Cossill to 4th in the Women’s Four.
  • Mike Rodger coached Flynn Eliadis-Watson, Campbell Crouch, Zack Rumble & Josh Vodanovich to 6th in the Men’s Four.

HOCKEY – VANTAGE BLACK STICKS MEN, FIH NATIONS
CUP 2025. MALAYSIA.

  • Greg Nicol coached the Black Sticks men to first in the Nations Cup.

Gary Roberts coached Finn Hammil & Ben Mason to 3rd in the Men’s Double & Logan Ullrich to 7th in the Men’s Single.

CANOE SLALOM – 2025 ICF CANOE SLALOM WORLD CUP 3. PRAGUE.

  • Arron Osbourne coached Finn Butcher to 1st in the Men’s Kayak Cross Final.

ROWING – ROWING WORLD CUP. LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND.

  • Mike Rodger coached Logan Ullrich to 1st in the Men’s Single.
  • Mike Rodger coached Men’s Pair – Oli Welch & Ben Taylor to 2nd and Men’s Four – Flynn Eliadis-Watson, Campbell Crouch, Zack Rumble, Josh Vodanovich to 7th.
  • Gary Roberts 2nd coached Finn Hammil & Ben Mason2nd in the Men’s Double.
  • Tom Stannard coached Alana Sherman, Isla Blake, Beckie Leigh, Juliette Lequeux to 3rd in the Women’s Four.

ATHLETICS – INTERNACIONAL CIUDAD DE MÁLAGA. MÁLAGA, SPAIN.

  • Dale Stevenson coached Lauren Bruce to 1st in the Women’s Hammer.

ATHLETICS – 64TH ZLATÁ TRETRA. OSTRAVA, CZE – 24 JUNE 2025.

  • James Mortimer coached Zoe Hobbs to 3rd in the Women’s 100m – Zoe Hobbs 3rd (10.94s; +0.6)
    *Oceania and New Zealand Record

TRIATHLON – 2025 WORLD TRIATHLON CUP. SAIDIA, MORROCCO (OLYMPIC DISTANCE)

  • Chris Willett coached Eva Goodison to 7th in the elite Women
  • Bruce Hunter coached Ainsley Thorpe to 10th in the Elite Women.

SKATEBOARDING – X GAMES. SALT LAKE CITY, USA

  • Simon Thorpe coached Jessica Ready 3rd in the Women’s.