AUT supporting NZ Team at Paris 2024
It has been 100 years since Paris last hosted the Olympic Games and a century later, AUT is very proud to be the official university partner of the New Zealand Team competing at Paris 2024.
As Aotearoa’s top university for sports science, and with our Sport and Recreation Faculty ranked in the top 40 in the world, it is no wonder so many talented graduates have been involved in the Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games over the years, both behind the scenes and as competitors, as well as current students.
As part of the partnership, AUT Millennium has officially been named the National Olympic Training Centre.
AUT’s Manager – Recreation, Sport Development & Athlete Support, Bruce Meyer, has played a central role in supporting AUT students who are also elite athletes, to fulfil both their academic and sporting ambitions.
“It was a privilege to be part of the AUT team that first established the university’s High Performance AUT Athlete Support Programme. It was designed to ensure talented students who are also training for top events such as the Commonwealth Games and/or Olympics didn’t drop out of their studies due to their sporting commitments or clashes.
“We encourage athletes to succeed both on and off the sporting stage and the programme provides an all-encompassing support programme, drawing on a range of student service areas, to help enable this success. If you’re considering your study options but want to also achieve goals as an athlete, I encourage you to contact us to find out more about our programme.
“I’ve worked directly with the majority, if not all of, the student athletes who have been studying at AUT and gone on to represent New Zealand at Olympic level, in addition to a number of World Cup and championships in other sport.
“With Paris 2024 now only months away we’re very proud to acknowledge AUT’s students and alumni who are also Olympic and Paralympic contenders. These high-performance athletes represent a diverse range of sports, from athletics and hockey to wheelchair rugby. It’s going to be an incredible event and we certainly wish them all the best in the coming months,” Bruce says.
AUT alumna, Isabel Neal, is one of the country’s most promising 400-metre sprinters and has previously been part of the university’s elite athlete programme.
“Juggling travelling and training with studying can be stressful, however communicating with lecturers and the athlete support hub allowed me to see success in both areas. AUT staff are extremely supportive and want you to succeed,” says Isabel.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games begin on July 26th. Around 200 New Zealand Team athletes are expected to compete at the Games, with the city of Paris set to host 10,500 athletes from 206 nations.
The Paralympics kick off on 28 August and run until the 8th September, bringing together 4,400 of the world’s most outstanding Paralympic athletes.