Congratulations to our incredible super athlete - Fiona Southorn!
After a year of riding for enjoyment and recovering from a nasty crash I seem to of nailed the World Masters Games with 3 Gold Medals, a Personal Best and two Bronze medals.
First race was the Road 20km Road Time Trial in Auckland along the waterfront, with great weather and the road closed for traffic it was perfect. I was hoping for a medal but never expected to win the race as I haven't completed a Time Trial for a very long time winning with an average speed of 41.6km.
I drove back home to re-pack for the three days of track racing ahead on the Avantidrome in Cambridge.
My first race on the Track was my preferred event the 2km Pursuit, I qualified with the second fastest time and was racing for Gold the same evening against a strong Australian. I rode a very strong ride doing a Personal Best and winning by 5 seconds.
With my two strongest events done and dusted anything else was now going to be a bonus although I didn't expect to win the Points race the following day.
I had no idea how the points system worked and had it explained to me prior to the race, the only think I was focusing on was not crashing during the 40 lap race.
I was so nervous I felt ill, After being last on the first sprint I decided the best thing was to attack off the front and have a go at lapping the field, it worked and no other riders joined me, so I peddled like buggery and with the lungs and legs burning after 12laps I had done it. The crowd went crazy, all I needed to do was stay ahead to the end. Not only did I win gold I was also faster than all the other age groups.
The last day on the track was going to be a long one if I qualified for the Match sprint, I managed to qualify in the top 4, this meant two more races of eliminations. In between I still had the Scratch race to do, I left my finish sprint too late but still managed a Bronze medal. Later in the evening I won the Bronze ride for the Match Sprint. A total of 5 medals from a very well run event.
I had no rest and raced the Age Group Nationals in Cambridge in the weekend and won the Time Trial also.
So that's two NZ titles this year a NZ record and 3 world titles.
I'm now chasing the Duathlon Worlds Champs title in August in Canada.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.7% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.4% Critical thinking
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30% Resilience and adaptability
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2.9% Other - I will share below!
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
Make a hearty dish. Take just half a minute. Add four parts of kestrel. Then just add one. What have you made?
(Trev from Silverdale kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Trev!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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