Tate takes Aim
Fresh from the BMX world championships in Brisbane last month, Tate Burdon will be attending Aims games, the largest junior sporting event in Australasia, in Tauranga next month as the only athlete representing Korakonui school.
Aims runs September 5 to 11 and Burdon will be there competing in BMX and Mountain Biking, a event which Aims tournament director Kelly Schischka said is “the undoubted success story of this year’s tournament.”
This year’s games have the biggest turnout in mountain biking, golf, rock climbing, surfing, tennis, badminton and cross country according to a media release and has attracted 14.506 entries.
Mother Anne Burdon said Tate has been riding BMX competitively since he was 8 years old and has completed all but three of the 32 BMX tracks in NZ.
He “loves anything with two wheels,” she said.
While at the Championships in Brisbane, Burdon was sick and “as white as a sheet”, according to Anne, but “dug deep” and placed well.
What he did, his mum said, was a “mark of a true athlete.”
Burdon’s BMX has taken him to the US, Denmark and Sweden, and has qualified for the BMX World Championship in Paris in 2027.
Te Awamutu Intermediate will be sending seven teams competing in 3×3 basketball, BMX racing, cross country, football, gymnastics, hockey, indoor bowls, netball, rugby, squash, tennis and table tennis. mountain biking and cross country.
Te Wharekura o Ngà Purapura o Te Aroha is sending two teams competing in basketball 3×3 and five-aside football.
Tauranga Mayor Mahè Drysdale said that he felt that the “fantastic” numbers showcases how inclusive and dynamic the event has become.
“I know from my own sporting journey, that sport is about so much more than competition,” he said.
Mahè, a two-time Olympic Champion in 2012 and 2016 in rowing, said, “It can ignite something special, a spark that stays with you, drives you forward, and gives you the confidence to dream big.”
You can see the registered schools here: https://www.nzaimsgames.co.nz/register/2026-registered-schools
