Athletes and budding massage therapists are both winners thanks to a unique arrangement between EIT Tairawhiti and two of the region’s top events.

Certificate in health and sports massage students had the chance to help out at the finish line massage tents at the Lake to Lighthouse event and the Gisborne Half Marathon in November.

Tutor Nancy Kahalewai, who in the past has worked at worldranked events like Ironman in Hawaii, says it’s a golden opportunity for her students to apply all the skills they have learned over the semester-long course. The Lake to Lighthouse event attracts world-class athletes and is “one amazing event”, according to Nancy.

“It’s a very classy and unique multi-sport event,” she says.

Students had to deal with everything from hamstring and ankle strains, through to extreme hypothermia during the two day event.

“Having to deal with a situation like hypothermia is exciting and scary at the same time, and having successfully dealt with the situation, I could just see the confidence in my students soar.”

Between the two events the students saw hundreds of clients.“It’s been a very busy and full on few weeks for us all. We’re lucky to have this sort of opportunity and real-life sporting events while our students are training here, but also the athletes are lucky to have such a service provided for free.”

Her graduates are scattering themselves through the industry in the widest of senses, with one heading off to Europe to work on a cruise ship, another working with people at a senior centre, one taking the next step to do a business course, three also continuing their tertiary studies with the new spa programme and a few others opting to work part time.