Kia ora my name is Nathan (Nate) Kenah, and I am one of two graduates in the Sport NZ Ihi Aotearoa Graduate Programme for 2024-2025.

I hail from Rotorua where growing up, I immersed myself in almost every sport possible. As I grew older, I knew that following my passion for sport and recreation was something I wanted to pursue. I moved down to Dunedin where I studied Sport Development & Management and Sociology before a Masters in Sport Development & Management.

During my studies, I found a passion for working with and supporting the holistic wellbeing of rangatahi. I worked as a Sub-warden (RA) in residential colleges and got involved with placements and coaching opportunities. During my masters I got the opportunity to lead Southern Zone Rugby League’s wellbeing initiative across the South Island, creating and delivering wellbeing and educational resources for rangatahi, using sport as a platform to develop good people first and foremost before athletes.

I applied for the Sport NZ Graduate Programme as the opportunity to create connections across the sector and be exposed to a variety of work and development opportunities excited me. Being a Graduate means you get to work across the whole organisation, getting involved in not only play, active recreation, and sport work, but also things like investment, policy, strategy, and business capability to support organisations to function effectively; all of which help to foster wellbeing outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi.

So far it has been a great learning experience, coming in during the start of a new strategic period for Sport NZ. All the staff are really supportive and keen to immerse us in the awesome mahi they are doing. There are so many opportunities to grow and develop yourself and your leadership capabilities within the sector. I would highly recommend applying for 2025-2026.