Marley King-Smith applied to our foundation in 2023 and received a sports scholarship.
Marley told us that his goal is to wear the Silver Fern at the Olympic Games and World Championships in the coming years after going through the rowing nz pathway!
He writes below how this scholarship impacted him:
“I am very fortunate to have been awarded a scholarship from the Kate Moetaua Foundation in 2023. This scholarship has been hugely helpful in supporting my dream of pursuing a place within the Rowing New Zealand High Performance Pathway. I applied for this scholarship with the goal of excelling in my club season and earning another chance to represent my country internationally in the NZ U19 team. Initially, I was based out of the Whakatipu Rowing Club, but I decided to relocate to Alexandra where I could train and row with a very strong and skilled group of athletes at Dunstan Arm Rowing Club (DARC) under the direction of highly respected head coach Simon Smith. I lived in Alex with my fellow crew members.
The financial support provided by this scholarship has gone towards rent, living costs, and club fees. This has been a significant help, as due to the intense training schedule, it was difficult for me to earn enough money to cover these costs. Throughout the season, I consistently placed in the top three in both the single and crew boats within the men's senior and premier divisions at South Island regattas. When DARC competed at the NZ Nationals at Lake Karapiro in Cambridge, I won bronze in the Men's Premier Quad, silver in the Men's Senior Single, gold in the Men's Senior Double, and gold in the Men's Senior Quad. Following this, I was selected to trial for the NZ U19 team for my second year, and I recently finished trials and have been selected for the NZ U19 Men's Double, which will travel to St Catherines, Toronto Canada to compete at the 2024 U19 World Rowing Championship. I have made significant progress in my skills throughout this past season, and the move to Alexandra for the summer was exactly what I needed.
I am incredibly grateful for the help I received from the Kate Moetaua Foundation, and I believe that their commitment to supporting upcoming rangatahi in their individual pursuits is truly special and deserves further recognition.”
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