The Waitākere U-16 boys train twice a day, once on the water at the Te Atatu Boat club and once again at Trust Stadium, in Henderson.
Coach Mohi Pakinga says, “We use the stadium a lot for land training, so basically just running up the steps and track- we're fortunate to have this here- and then we train again on the water”.
The teams from Waitākere hope to to achieve their goals at the National Waka Ama sprints.
Kiliona Tamati-Tupa'i, one of the paddlers says, “We're a little bit nervous, but it's time to bite back at the nerves, at the laziness, to let it go and not let it concern us, to distract us,”
That’s supported by his teammate, Anaru Houia, who explains his love for his team, “It’s a dream paddling with these guys. We're strong, we're happy, we're excited to wake up and come to training”.
The Nationals will be held in Karapiro on Monday the 15th.