My name is Truman Stuart and I am a first-year Bachelor of Recreation and Sport student at EIT.  Coming straight out of high school into tertiary education has been a major stepping stone for me, especially in terms of the knowledge being taught in short periods of time.  But the first three months studying here has been an awesome experience and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far.

The first couple of weeks were really a matter of settling in and organising my workload.  Having to juggle all my commitments was hard and ordering priorities for everything I do was a must to keep up with my studies.

I compete in waka ama in long and short distances across the North Island. I recently competed with my team in a 21km race in Taupo and came first in the premiere division although I’m a junior in the squad.  I am usually the steerer in the back or sometimes the pacer at the front, both positions requiring a lot of skill and training.  My financial status will play a big part in how actively I can train and compete on a regular basis.  Being awarded a Sport Hawke’s Bay-EIT sport scholarship has really helped relieve the stress on the financial side of my sport, allowing me to focus more on training and getting to as many races as I can.

Thank you EIT and Sport Hawkes Bay for the big help you have given me.  Now I can utilise this opportunity to achieve greater success in my sport and studies.