Nikau Wihapi-Priest

He uri tēnei nō Tūhourangi, Tapuika, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi, nō Waitaha hoki. Ko Nikau ahau. I am 16 and grew up on my papa kainga at Ōtūkawa, Te Puke and board at Tai Mitchell Hostel, Rotorua Boys High. 

I am a stage one Pinnacle Student.  

I love all sports. I have competed in and gained placings at regional athletics, swimming and touch rugby events. I have also placed at national waka ama and golf events. At primary school I played rugby, rugby league, basketball, volleyball, ki o rahi , softball and water polo. Golf did not become my priority until I joined the RBHS golf academy as a year 9 student. Our team has qualified for national secondaries golf for a number of years and I have been part of the team since year 9. I won the NZ Māori Rangatahi under 19 golf championships in 2020 and 2021. I was lucky enough to make my local Te Puke Senior Pennants Golf team in 2021 and qualified for the Bay of Plenty play offs. My dream is to be a professional golf player and to get as much mentoring and practise as I can before that and to win the senior Māori golf and take a NZ golf title.

Another passion is my language and culture. I was educated in Māori immersion for 8 years and chose a Māori medium option at Boys High. My short term academic goal is to achieve NCEA endorsed with excellence and to wear a RBHS acadmic blazer. I would also like to be a RBHS prefect before I leave school. 

I have an immense love for the water. There is a saying in Māori that says "Ko Au te Awa, Ko te Awa Ko Au"  or "I am the river and the river is me." It was important for my whanau that I was confident in the water. I learnt to swim and do waka ama on my awa,  Kaituna- Te Awanui o Tapuika. I learnt how to respect the waterways and how to gather kai from the rivers and ocean. I am looking forward to the Spirit of Adventure on the water. This will prepare me well for 2022 and for the challenges and successes I will encounter in future. Ngā mihi ki a koutou, te whānau a Pinnacle.