 Matthew leading the 10km race with Andrea Bolzoni and Andrea Piras keeping company at the 2km mark It was a perfect morning for a foot race on the mountain road at Falefa on Saturday. This is the only race that runs twice during the year, in January to kick start Samoa Events’ annual programme and in November to close the year.
Expats Matthew Howden, 33, and Anna Rivara, 28, won the premier 10km races. The 10km race is a gem of a course, popular with visiting runners from around the world. It overlooks Falefa Falls at the start and loops around Falefa Bay. From the elevated view the Bay is stunning in the early morning calm. Encountering very few cars on the quiet mountain-side road makes this course a runners’ paradise. There were eight in the premier 10km race, a few more lined up for the shorter distances. In the men’s race it was Aussie, Howden who took the win on Australia Day. He led from the front with two Italians on his tail, Andrea Piras and Andrea Bolzoni. It was the first time running the Falefa course for the three, and they were all smiles throughout the race. “Spectacular! The scenery, quiet coastal road, lush rainforest, waves breaking on the reef off in the distance, those were the best things about the run,” Howden said after the race. The other aspect of the day that struck with Howden was the friendly atmosphere despite it being a race. The Australian didn’t have a specific plan for the race. He said things worked themselves out after the first kilometre when he decided to open it up. “After the first kilometre I had warmed up and started to increase my pace,” he said. “After the halfway point I saw I had a bit of a lead but I kept expecting them to come galloping past me.” In the end, Howden’s winning time of 56mins 02secs was 90-seconds ahead of Piras who finished second. Bolzoni was another minute back. The women’s race was also hotly contested. The women’s podium was the same as the November 2018 race but with a twist. Then, it was Rivara who finished third behind Kat Riley (Aust) and Akiko Ano (USA). This time, Rivara took five minutes off her time from two months ago to cross the finish line in first place in 1hr 03mins. In the 6km race two more Australian expats Andrew Colquhoun - 31mins 26secs, won the men’s race and Laura Howden finished first in the women’s race in 41mins10secs. The Samoa Events weekend run series continues this weekend with the Apia 10km run followed by the South Coast 10km next Saturday. The three races serve as a platform for local runners to kick start their training for the Savai’i International Marathon in April. Samoa Events is already fielding international bookings for that race from as far afield as Europe and the United States. END
0 Comments
Story, Seti Afoa  Captain Arthur Phillip won the race for Britain to settle Australia, beating the French into Botany Bay by a matter of days. Image painted by Francis Wheatley in 1786. Picture: National Potrait Gallery In the race between Britain and France to settle Australia in the late 18th century, Samoa unwittingly played a hand in delaying the French from claiming the prize. Two French ships arrived in Botany Bay on 24 January that year, only to see the eleven ships of the First Fleet already anchored in the bay. French explorer and expedition leader Comte de La Perouse was six days too late. The French late arrival could have something to do with the loss of twelve French sailors in Samoa a month earlier. It was December, 1787 and La Perouse’s expedition had arrived in Samoa on their way to Botany Bay. On the 11th of the month, twelve of La Perouse’s men including the captain of one of the two French ships were killed in a skirmish with the Samoans at A’asu on Tutuila Island. The race to settle Australia had its roots in the power struggles between Britain, France and the United States in North America. In the 1760’s Britain and France suffered substantial land losses as a result of two conflicts on the continent. The first conflict was the struggle for Canada in the 7 Years’ War that ended with France ceding territory to Britain in 1763. In revenge, the French helped the United States win the War of Independence that ended with Britain losing colonies in the American South. That was the prelude to the race for Botany Bay and British settlement of New South Wales on 26 January, 1788, the official day for Australia Day commemorations. There was something bigger going on, the American Declaration of Independence on 4 July, 1776 at the outset of the American Revolution accelerated the colonisation of the South Pacific, New Zealand and New Holland (as Australia was then known) as Britain and France looked for replacement territory. For Britain, she could no longer offload convicts to the colonies – that was one of the facilitators in the revolt to rid America of Britain’s interference in local affairs. The other was unfair taxation imposed on the Americans. With the loss of her American territories, Britain then sought a new country to receive convicts from England’s overcrowded jails – Botany Bay, claimed by Captain James Cook for the Crown in April, 1770 was identified as the place and they had to get there in a hurry before the French arrived. The French had a head start. King Louis XVI sent out two ships on 1 August 1785 headed for the South Pacific. The First Fleet did not leave England for NSW until May 1787. The French expedition was led by well-respected scientist and explorer Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de La Pérouse. His ships were L'Astrolabe and La Boussole. History would define La Perouse as a tragic figure with bad luck. He missed beating the British to Botany Bay by a matter of days. Then when La Perouse and his remaining crew left Botany Bay in March 1788 after a six-week stay, they were never to be seen again. The two boats simply vanished and did not return to France. La Perouse arrived at Fagasa Bay on the north coast of Tutuila on 9 December, 1787. He noted in his journal that the maps he was using were inaccurate and he made a scathing attack on fellow French explorer Antoine de Bougainville who surveyed the islands and drew the maps ten years earlier.  French explorer and navigator Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de La Pérouse History would define La Perouse as a tragic figure with bad luck. He missed beating the British to Botany Bay by a matter of days. Then when La Perouse and his remaining crew left Botany Bay in March 1788 after a six-week stay, they were never to be seen again. The two boats simply vanished and did not return to France. La Perouse arrived at Fagasa Bay on the north coast of Tutuila on 9 December, 1787. He noted in his journal that the maps he was using were inaccurate and he made a scathing attack on fellow French explorer Antoine de Bougainville who surveyed the islands and drew the maps ten years earlier. It was Bougainville who gave Samoa the name Navigator Islands in 1768, a name La Perouse used in his journal for the Samoa group of islands. La Perouse recorded the interchange with locals started off friendly and there was a healthy exchange of goods between the French and the Samoans. La Perouse arrived at Fagasa Bay on the north coast of Tutuila on 9 December, 1787. He noted in his journal that the maps he was using were inaccurate and he made a scathing attack on fellow French explorer Antoine de Bougainville who surveyed the islands and drew the maps ten years earlier. It was Bougainville who gave Samoa the name Navigator Islands in 1768, a name La Perouse used in his journal for the Samoa group of islands. La Perouse recorded the interchange with locals started off friendly and there was a healthy exchange of goods between the French and the Samoans.
Still contained on the ships was the entire population of the fleet some 1,000 men, women and children made up of 753 convicts and the rest marines, officers and sailors. The figures differ between sources. The population of the first Australians at the same time was estimated at around 750,000 to 1 million, again differing between sources and scientific methods of historical data analysis. That figure has been quoted as high as 1.5 million. By the time La Perouse arrived at Botany Bay, Arthur Phillip had already decided against Botany Bay for the settlement of his people. A few days earlier on 21 January Phillip let a party in three small boats toward the north to explore the area known as Broken Bay, and also have a look at the headlands Cook noted in 1770 as Port Jackson. Captain Cook did not sail through the headlands. He has in haste to depart after a long stay at Botany Bay and merely noted and named Port Jackson from a distance as he sailed north toward Cape York. Had Cook sent a rowboat to investigate, he would have discovered one of the finest harbours in the entire world. That was Arthur Philip’s reward, and two days after entering Port Jackson and exploring Sydney Cove he was back at Botany Bay on January 23rd, the evening before La Perouse arrived. La Perouse and his two ships arrived at Botany Bay during the night. It caused much alarm to the Fleet to see the ships anchored outside the Bay in the first light of January 24th. Preparations were in earnest, and in secret to relocate the entire First Fleet to Sydney Cove. Arthur Phillip did not want La Perouse to know about Sydney Cove. On the 26th of January the fleet weighed anchor and sailed the short distance to Port Jackson in full view of La Perouse and his men. That evening, the entire First Fleet was safely at anchor in Sydney Cove. The rest is history as the saying goes, and the founding of modern Australia was achieved. La Perouse and his men stayed put in Botany Bay for six weeks. In that time the French set up an Observatory, a chapel, gardens and geological observations in keeping with the scientific nature of the expedition. Whilst La Perouse was not once invited by Phillip for a formal diplomatic meeting and the two never met, there was one thing they both agreed upon – Botany Bay was not suitable for a settlement. The Bay offered no protection to the elements, and there was no adequate water supply to be found. La Perouse wrote in his journal of Botany Bay and the country as the most god-forsaken place on earth. He might have changed his view had he discovered Sydney Cove first, if only he arrived a week or so earlier. History is clear on one thing, La Perouse was not really serious on entering Botany ahead of the British. Many months earlier while in Russian waters he learned of the First Fleet sailing for Botany Bay. He could have easily left everything to arrive ahead of Arthur Phillip. His main mission was scientific discovery for France. But Arthur Philip was concerned enough to beat the French into Botany Bay. For him the race was very real. Before the French departed Botany Bay on the 10th of March La Perouse sent over to Arthur Phillip a despatch of writings and journals to be forwarded to the French ambassador in London on the first outward boat to England.  L'Astrolabe and La Boussole were discovered in the Solomon Islands in 1964. Image: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. That was the last recorded sighting of Le Perouse and his men. They were not seen again.
Another sad footnote, a few weeks before the French departed Botany Bay, the chaplain from L'Astrolabe, Father Louis Receveur, died of injuries he sustained in the massacre in Samoa. Le Perouse’s journals were later published in Paris in 1797 under the title “The voyage of La Perouse around the World”. The French Navy spent a considerable amount of effort to find out what happened to the expedition without success. It is recorded that King Louis XVI before he was executed in 1793 was to enquire if there was any word on La Perouse. The death of the monarch ushered in the French Revolution and it had no small connection to the financial losses heaped on France as a result of the conflicts in North America. The mystery of what happened to La Perouse was finally answered in 1964 when the L'Astrolabe and La Boussole were found wrecked outside a reef in Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands. END  Digital rendering of Samoa Airways’ Boeing 737 MAX 9 Samoa Airways and Air Lease Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding in Apia, for the lease placement of one new Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. Scheduled for delivery in late March, the aircraft, which will be delivered direct from Boeing in Seattle Washington, will replace the National Carrier’s existing 737-800. The MOU was signed by the Prime Minister, Honourable Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Samoa Airways Chairman Feesago Siaosi Fepuleai and ALC Executive Chairman Steven Hazy. The partnership represents the continuation of the relationship between Boeing, Mr Hazy and the National Carrier. Hazy was previously the CEO of the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), which leased Boeing aircraft to the National Airline in the past. The 737 MAX airplanes bring the latest technology to the most popular jet aircraft of all time, the 737. It offers incredible range and flexibility and is designed to provide passengers with a comfortable flying experience. The airplane will feature the new Boeing Sky Interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness and larger overhead stowage bins. The MAX’s technological advances plus its powerful LEAP-1B engines are redefining the future of efficient and environmentally friendly air travel. Samoa Airways is set to become the first airline in the South Pacific Region including New Zealand and Australia to operate the new Boeing 737 MAX 9. The new aircraft will be configured with 16 Business Class seats and 173 seats in Economy Class, and will operate between Apia, Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane. Samoa Airways Press Release SAMOA EVENTS / JAN / 2019  Andy Murray at the Melbourne Arena on Monday night. Photo / Ben Solomon / Tennis Australia On any other day, Andy Murray would have cruised through the early rounds of the Australian Open with that magnificent performance against 22nd – seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain. Murray lost a thriller in five sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-2. The first round match was worthy of a final. I found myself watching scintillating tennis between the former world number one and the 22nd seed Bautista Agut. Such quality matches are usually reserved for the Round of sixteen and the finals. But now Murray, 31, is knocked out of the first Open of the year and likely to have enforced his early retirement plans. At two sets down he looked down and out against the precision of Bautista Agut. Then Murray clawed his way back winning the third and fourth sets in a tie-break to level at 2-2. He was superb and sublime all at once. The trademark ground strokes and baseline game was simply outstanding. But it was not enough against the Spanish who last week defeated Novak Djokovic, who is the number one seed in Melbourne, in the Qatar Open final – no less. Bautista Agut won the final set 6-2. Murray was spent and the injured hip was all too evident a liability in the end. It affected his speed around the court and at times decision making at crucial times. The great Scot became a tragic hero to a full house at Melbourne Arena and millions watching on television on Monday night. All eyes and voice were on him for a miracle comeback that just slipped through his grasp.
Andy Murray on his way to losing a first round thriller against Roberto Bautista Agut. Photos / Ben Solomon / Tennis Australia Murray, who hasn’t played a lot of tennis in the last two years resulting in him missing ATP tournaments and points, came into the tournament ranked 230.
He was given a wildcard to the tournament but not seeded. It meant his first round match in Melbourne was going to be against a seeded player. There was to be no luxury of easing through the early rounds. It also meant Murray who is still recovering from hip surgery and with very little tennis under his belt had to bring his A game for the first round. He did and it almost worked. He will now contemplate his future. The hip will not stand any further scrutiny of a physical sport. There was talk of a farewell appearance in Wimbledon in July but that may be too far a stretch. In the pre-game Presser Murray said the hip wasn’t doing well. "I can still play, but not to a level I'm happy playing at," he said. “The pain is too much really.” “I tried everything to get it right but it hasn’t worked.” His own friends in the circuit are advising him to retire now and not wait for Wimbledon. If he does it will be a sad day for men’s tennis. Andy Murray facts 3 Grand Slam titles (Wimbledon 2013, 2016; US Open 2012) 2 Olympic Gold medals (London, Rio) First British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years Won 45 ATP Tour titles First pro male to employ a Female coach – Amelie Mauresmo (2014-16) Career Prize money $61 million (US) SAMOA EVENTS / JAN / 2019  Browns Bay start for the 3.8 km swim - Photo, ScottieTPhoto It was a perfect day for Ocean swimming on New Years Day in Auckland city. The wind was a slight one blowing from the south west which meant the east coast of Auckland was flat and smooth. No wonder 55 swimmers turned up for the first swim of the year in the world. There was no doubt the weather had a hand in the good turn out today, the largest in the 7 years of this swim. Only four took on the 2 km swim, a new distance added to get more people involved. The rest opted for the long version, 3.8 km from Browns Bay to Long Bay. Nick Shanks swam the fastest in 53min 45sec, he now holds the record for the distance. Terri Bidwell was the first woman to finish in 57min 38sec. Jono Ridler was the first non-wetsuit swimmer to cross in 57min 28secs another record. RESULTS - New Year's Day Swim Browns Bay to Long Bay - Auckland - Notes at the end 2KM Place Name AGR Distance Time 1 Matt Penney 40-44 2KM 0:39:42 2 Shane Chubb 50-54 2KM 0:41:17 3 Denise James 40-44 2KM 0:47:18 4 Sarah Haldane 50-54 2KM 0:49:10 3.8KM Place Name Age Grp Distance Time 1 Nick Shanks 25-29 3.8KM 0:53:45 2 Tim Buckley 35-39 3.8KM 0:54:16 3 Mark Harris 45-49 3.8KM 0:54:38 4 Jono Ridler AGR 3.8KM 0:57:28 nws 5 Terri Bidwell 45-49 3.8KM 0:57:38 6 Jett Curteis U15 3.8KM 1:03:06 7 Mike Cochrane 35-39 3.8KM 1:03:21 nws 8= Hamish Commons AGR 3.8KM 1:05:24 8= Martin Powell AGR 3.8KM 1:05:24 10 Sam Hope 40-44 3.8KM 1:06:52 11 Hugh Parris 40-44 3.8KM 1:07:19 12 Kerri Dewe 30-39 3.8KM 1:07:27 13 Alice Brown 25-29 3.8KM 1:07:28 14 David Grant 60-64 3.8KM 1:07:40 nws 15 Mark Checksfield AGR 3.8KM 1:07:51 16 Peter Clark 50-54 3.8KM 1:09:58 17 Sandi Wooldridge 45-49 3.8KM 1:10:40 18 Vince Sesto AGR 3.8KM 1:10:46 19 Palepua Afoa U15 3.8KM 1:12:30 nws 20= Rob Lane AGR 3.8KM 1:13:27 20= Paulette Tasker AGR 3.8KM 1:13:27 nws 22= Raewyn Barker 35-39 3.8KM 1:17:53 nws 22= Gina Yukich 25-29 3.8KM 1:17:53 nws 24= Marina Nola 40-44 3.8KM 1:21:55 24= James Harper 40-44 3.8KM 1:21:55 26 David Moulder 45-49 3.8KM 1:22:02 27 Lynne O'Sullivan 50-54 3.8KM 1:25:13 28 Kirsty Pinder AGR 3.8KM 1:25:46 29 Chris Shouksmith 60-64 3.8KM 1:26:42 30 Caroline Guy 40-44 3.8KM 1:28:27 31 Kim Tobias AGR 3.8KM 1:29:28 nws 32 Nicole Youman AGR 3.8KM 1:16:34 33 Kim Taunga 40-44 3.8KM 1:32:15 nws 34 Dan Feisst 35-39 3.8KM 1:32:20 35 Violani Afoa U15 3.8KM 1:33:17 nws 36= Craig Gregory 45-49 3.8KM 1:33:32 36= Lynley Twyman 50-54 3.8KM 1:33:32 38 Anthony Sexton 35-39 3.8KM 1:34:20 39 Mark Gillon 55-59 3.8KM 1:36:25 nws 40 Gracie MacKinlay 40-44 3.8KM 1:39:45 41 Kay Abayakoon 40-44 3.8KM 1:45:27 nws 42 Daniel Afoa 50-54 3.8KM 2:05:00 nws SAMOA EVENTS / JAN / 2019  Bray Heads behind us and I'm about to get my baptism of cold water ocean swimming in the Irish Sea with Oceans 7 swim legend Ion Lazarenco Tiron. He's the stuff of Legends. I was in awe with a Legend. In November 2018 I found myself in Dublin, Ireland. I was following the All Blacks on their Northern Spring Tour with a test match in Aviva Stadium. That was the catalyst for my presence in the fine city of Dublin in the Spring. That also meant I was in the same city as Ion whom I met earlier in the year in Auckland, New Zealand. He was there to swim Cook Strait, the final swim of his Oceans 7. There are 7 swims in Oceans 7: North Channel (Ireland to Scotland), Cook Strait (NZ), Molokai Channel in Hawai'i, Catalina Channel (USA), Tsugaru Strait in Japan, English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar (Europe to Africa). This is the pinnacle of Ocean swimming. Ion was the 8th person to have completed all seven swims, and the only person to complete all seven in the first attempt. So you can imagine stars in my eyes as I spent a couple of days with Ion and his wife Angela. I traveled to Bray where they live, Ion met me and he showed me the amazing sights and landscape of these parts of Eire. Then on my final day I asked Ion to take me for a swim in his local waters in the Irish Sea. It gets cold in these parts in November and here I was about to swim my first ocean swim in Europe. We went down to the beach in Bray, Wicklow near where I was staying at the fine Esplanade Hotel. It was a blustery morning with grey skies and early signs of a cold winter ahead. It will be the coldest swim of my life. The water was a chilly 10 deg Celsius and I was shivering. I had to borrow swimming togs from Ion, a swim cap, and goggles. I simply had to have a swim so I could brag for the rest of my life that I swam the Irish Sea in the winter and with a swim legend by my side. Ion was first in the water. This was normal conditions for him. Four of the seven swims are in cold like conditions in Bray that November morning. I decided not to dilly dally around but to get right in. I walked into the surf and dived in. The immense cold water emptied my body of all the air in my frame. It was cold, and we were only in togs. I immediately took a second dive and started to swim. It felt like my arms had fallen from my torso. They were numb, arms and legs, all four of them. I kept on, and flailed like a bird in a sea of cold oil. I was simply frozen but I kept on. Then the equilibrium of temperature kicked in, my skin was now the same temperature as the water or at least it felt that way. There was an odd sensation about it too - a warmth of sorts now that my body has accepted the fact I was staying in the water for more than an instant. I decided then that I needed to swim for 20 minutes to make it count. I did that, darting here and there as Ion exited the water to take photos of my brave exploit. He was encouraging and I felt like a hardened hero of sorts. I was swimming in the Irish Sea at the start of winter, and a Legend was observing my adventure. I will do it again. Ion Lazarenco Tiron's Oceans 7 Swims Strait of Gibraltar - Europe to Africa (4 hours 41 minutes) English Channel (13 hours 34 minutes) North Channel - Ireland to Scotland (16 hours 23 minutes) Catalina Channel, USA (12 hours 1 minute) Molokai Channel, Hawai'i (18 hours 11 minutes) Tsugaru Channel, Japan (11 hours 20 minutes) Cook Strait, NZ (11 hours 5 minutes).
SAMOA EVENTS / JAN / 2019  Lesley Turner Hall in the Swiss Alps. Summiting Mt Pollux at 4092 metres. In Samoa, there is a challenge that only a few people can meet. The Giant Warrior Challenge involves four multi-day events in eight days, Saturday to Saturday. It is not for the faint-hearted and only four have done it. All are men. The first Challenge in 2014 was called the Big Warrior but minus the Half Marathon at the end. Three brave souls took it on and completed the challenge - two Samoans, Samasoni Nimarota and Sini from the village of Saoluafata. The other was a fine Aussie bloke from Canberra named Scott Kristiansen. Then in 2017, the Half Marathon was added and the challenge moved from Big Warrior to Giant Warrior. The notion of Giant goes with the history of Samoa where in years ancient it was inhabited by Giants. Only one man has become the Giant Warrior. His name is Vince Sesto from Victoria, Australia. He is our first Warrior Giant, a man unsurpassed in achievement in Samoa. This year, a lone female has stepped forward to meet the Warrior Challenge to stand alongside Sesto in stature. She is Lesley Turner Hall (LTH) of Auckland, a proud Canadian who has been living in New Zealand for the last 18 years. She lives a full action-packed life. During the week Lesley works full time as a Senior Registered Dental Hygienist in Queen Street and on weekends she is running, swimming, cycling and climbing somewhere in the Kiwi outdoors. We have decided to reprint this interview Lesley did with the Finnish Dental Hygiene journal "Suuhygienisti-Journal" (SHJ) as it paints a good picture of our first Female Giant Warrior entrant both as a professional working woman and an enduring athlete. The interview in the "Suuhygienisti" was translated into Finnish for the Journal, this is the English extract. The Giant Warrior Schedule 2019 Saturday 27 July, Warrior Race Half Ironman (2 km swim, 90 km bike, Half Marathon run) Monday 29 July, Pacific Open Water Challenge 10 km ocean swim Tuesday 30 July, Pacific Open Water Challenge 5 km ocean swim Thursday 1 August, Samoa Swim Series 4 km ocean swim Friday 2 August, Samoa Swim Series II, 4 km ocean swim Saturday 3 August, two Events Le Lava Half Marathon in the morning, Samoa Swim Series III, 4 km ocean swim SHJ. How did you get to be a dental hygienist in New Zealand? What path guided you to become a dental hygienist? How did you end up in your current job? LTH. Right from being a little girl at the age of 6, I knew I wanted to be a dental hygienist. The first time I personally visited a dental hygienist, she had disclosed the plaque on my teeth and even at the age of 6, I was mortified to see 'red' teeth looking back at me (signifying plaque-covered teeth). She then kindly showed me how to brush my teeth properly and at that early age, I was flossing daily and brushing my teeth like an obsessive-compulsive person. I never wanted to see 'red' teeth ever again. It was from that day forward that I became very passionate about teeth and oral health in general. Going into the dental field was definitely my calling. Once I became a dental hygienist, I knew I wanted to take my skills and passion to another country other than my home country of Canada. New Zealand was a good choice as it was not only an English speaking country, but it was also a country that was going to provide me with the great outdoors and a playground for me to play in. I love being in the outdoors, hiking in the mountains is one of my greatest passions next to my passion for creating healthy mouths. Once I decided I wanted to live and work outside of Canada, I sent out my CV to over 100 dental offices in NZ and also put an advertisement in the New Zealand Dental Association website with the title, "Canadian Dental Hygienist for Hire.". My current boss at Queen Street Street Dental had seen my advertisement and liked the fact that I was the Golden Scaler recipient when I graduated at the top of my class from Niagara College in Ontario Canada and that I had four years experience working in a periodontal speciality practice. 18 years on, and I'm still working for Queen Street Dental in downtown Auckland. SHJ. How would you describe your current job, and how would you compare it to some previous job you might have had in the past? Is there some special organization of tasks that you might have seen organized differently in different places? LTH. I work full-time (4.5 days a week), in a very busy and progressive modern general dentist practice. Our clients range in age from young to old and of different financial backgrounds. Many clients, however, are people who work in the central business district comprised of lawyers, bankers, university professors, chiropractors and other medical professionals. Many of which are highly motivated people who value both their oral and physical health. Dealing with a motivated population like this does make my job both easier and rewarding. When I had started at my current practice in Auckland all those years ago back in 2001, dental hygienists were still a fairly new profession in New Zealand and so I was given a lot of autonomy and freedom to practice the way I was taught in school and with the skills and treatment planning knowledge I gained by working in the Periodontal office in Canada. I was given ample time to treat each patient and had new instruments to work with. This allowed me to provide good quality care for my patients and soon I had a very loyal clientele that returned for their 3 to 4 or 6 monthly visits. And eighteen years on, I still have a full book and rarely have no-shows or cancellations. Testament to the value my clients' place on their oral health and the oral hygiene treatment care they receive from me. Creating my own Facebook page called "Lesley Dental Hygienist" and being on the Executive Board and branch level of my professional association for the past 13 years has allowed me to contribute and implement positive changes to the profession of dental hygiene in New Zealand. It has also given me the opportunity to be a great mentor to younger dental hygienists and to be a source of inspiration and knowledge to my colleagues and to the greater public including my own patients.  At work in Queen Street, Auckland for Queen Street Dental. Lesley has a full book of appointments everyday. She is loved by her patients and she has not had one sick day in 18 years of work. Lesley also sits on the Executive Board of the NZ Dental Hygienists' Association. SHJ. Are there any key points that you might have learnt along the way compared when you got started as a dental hygienist, and where you are in your career right now? LTH. After 20 years in the industry, the key point I have learned is that "life happens between visits". Patients may have left their appointment with me with the best intentions of implementing all the good oral hygiene tips and skills I showed them then things change in their lives, whether it be they have children and a busy family life, they have sick elderly parents that they have to care for or they start a new job or get a divorce. There is always something that pops up in one's life that seems to affect people's ability to care for their teeth as well as they would like to. I also noticed that ageing does play a big factor in a person's ability to keep their mouth free of plaque. Partly due to their eyesight failing and or their manual dexterity deteriorates or other health ailments affect them. From my experience, elderly people on a whole, seem to struggle with keeping their mouths 100% healthy. SHJ. What is the best part about your job? LTH. I love the interactions I have with my patients of all ages. I really enjoy connecting with them on their level and gaining their trust. It is very rewarding to see my passion for oral health rub off on my patients. I am proud of the people skills that I have and can relate to people of all ages. I enjoy the stories I get to hear about my patients' lives and I learn so much about the rest of the world through them and our conversations. SHJ. Are there some parts about being a dental hygienist you would like to see get improved? LTH. I would like to see dental hygienists being able to work independently from dentists so that we can reach the wider public. It would be great to see more dental hygienists working in retirement and rest homes. Access to patients who cannot physically go to a private practice or clinic would be improved if we could go directly to them instead of them having to come to us. I'd like to see dental hygienists working in schools more and actually scaling/cleaning children's teeth and giving them oral hygiene instruction at the school level.
L-R, Ocean swim in Auckland, Cycling the South Island, on the peak of Mt Pollux near the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps, completing the Half Marathon at the World Masters in Auckland - 2017. SHJ. What are the best parts about living and working in where you do, in beautiful New Zealand? LTH. The best part of working and living in New Zealand is the people are fairly laid-back and easy going. They work hard, but they also appreciate that people need time away from work to re-charge their batteries and experience life outside of work. Every employee by law gets 4-weeks annual leave and are often allowed to take extra unpaid leave. It is a country full of stunning locations with mountains, volcanoes, rainforests and pristine beaches surrounding the entire two islands. It's an outdoor nature-lovers playground. I live in Auckland where the weather is mild and rarely below 10 degrees Celsius in winter. I can run, bike and swim all year round which is great for both my physical and mental health. SHJ. How did you end up running marathons, ultramarathons, doing mountain climbing, and how long have you been doing them? LTH. When I first arrived in NZ back in 2001, I was 29 years old and started taking up running every day. With a climate that allows you to run daily without it being too cold in winter and not overly hot in summer, it made perfect sense to take up running. I then discovered all these running races that are all around the country all year long. My first marathon was the Auckland marathon which I ran 12 months after arriving in the country and you are either that type of person who only ever runs one marathon their whole lives or you are someone who will run a 100 marathons. Eventually, I became very good at marathons and started competing and winning races more. Then I got into the long-distance races like Ironman triathlons and 60-100km ultramarathons. Even winning my first 100km ultramarathon at the age of 45. The trail running community in NZ is very large and is like one big family. The people are very friendly and inclusive of all types of runners, fast and slow, fat or skinny. Belonging to such a great community exposes you to more races and becomes very addictive. Feeling happy and achieving your goals at the end of a race is a great feeling that you want to repeat over and over again. SHJ. How did you become such an outstanding athlete? LTH. I have always loved sport and exercise. Back in Canada, I was on a competitive women's ice hockey team from the age of 9 to 16. And I played competitive club volleyball and varsity volleyball from the age of 14 to 23. Training many hours a day became normal to me and something I have carried with me all throughout my adult life. And now instead of team sports, I do individual sports with running, cycling and swimming, but with the same passion and intensity that I have always put into my training. And with constant training and dedication, one becomes a very successful athlete.
Lesley celebrating her 46th birthday with a 46km run around the volcanoes in Tongariro National Park, NZ, April 2018 SHJ. How do you train for climbing mountains? What is the driving force behind it? What are you thinking when you're pushing for 'the extra mile'? LTH. The best way to train for climbing mountains is firstly to be fit. And I stay fit by my daily training regime of running, cycling and swimming and also boxing fitness classes. And secondly, you have to get into the mountains. Hiking with a 15-20kg backpack in the mountains on trails gets you very fit and gets you familiar with climbing rocky and steep terrain and crossing rivers. Having an internal passion for adventure and getting more and more familiar with mountainous terrain helps you conquer bigger mountains and hike longer trails. For me the way I push my body that extra mile is I love to conquer my goals. I have never had to pull out of a race and my sheer determination always gets me to the finish line. SHJ. Do you have other hobbies that are completely different from the ultramarathons for example? LTH. Yes, I absolutely love to read books. I mostly enjoy reading autobiographies and health/self-help books but I also love a good fiction book every now and again. I also love going to the cinema to watch movies, foreign films or films based on true stories being my favourite. SHJ. What ideology you might have for sports, wellbeing, nutrition, diet, relaxation, and is there some special path that made you think that way? LTH. I have always loved being fit and truly enjoy exercise and pushing my body to its limit. I love to sweat and push my body. I enjoy many sports and doing my best to excel at them. I have always trained very hard and gave it my 100% in volleyball practice. Having that type of self-discipline early on in life had set me up very well for the discipline required to train for a marathon and ultramarathons and Ironman triathlons. I am also extremely passionate about fuelling my body with the best nutrition and for me, that means eating a plant-based diet. I also like to feed my mind with positive thinking and self-help books. Perhaps, watching my father die of cancer at an early age made me even more driven to live a healthy and fulfilled life. SHJ. Do you have tips for others how to get started improving their wellbeing, capacity to do sports, eating the right way? LTH. My advice to people is to just start. Start walking or running short distances each day. Start incorporating healthy food items into their diet. And do their research. Read about the positive effects of eating a plant-based diet. Check out trails or races in your area and sign up for one. If you have a goal, you will train and eat right to get yourself ready for it. Having something to focus on always helps with your motivation to lace up and go for that walk or run and you will think more consciously about the foods you put into your body. Then once you have conquered your first race or walked your first trail, you will come to love that feeling of accomplishment and the endorphin rush that comes with it. And you will want that feeling again.
SHJ. Has extreme sports had value or influence in your professional life as a dental hygienist? LTH. I suppose in a way my extreme sports has had an influence on my professional life as a dental hygienist. Firstly, patients tend to listen to people who walk the talk so to speak. My passion for my fitness, sport and mountain climbing seems to have a really positive effect on my patients and truly inspires them. Passionate people tend to have a great influence on helping others make positive changes in their own lives, sometimes that means I can get patients to floss daily or sometimes it means I help them start into a fitness program or they start running or they improve their diet. I also have really great travel stories and photos that my patients love to hear about and look at. SHJ. People around the world, like in Finland know that the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed in the stunning views of New Zealand. Would you recommend New Zealand for a visit? LTH. MOST DEFINITELY! New Zealand is a great place to visit. There is never a bad day in NZ. Every day is a good day! There is so much beauty to see. Like I mentioned before, there are beaches all over the entire two islands, all of them being rugged, pristine and you feel like you're the only one there. There are mountains, volcanoes and rainforests all within easy reach, you've just got to get here. So bring your raincoat, bring your trekking shoes and go have an adventure. The clean air and beautiful surroundings will not disappoint you.
Early morning sunrise on the Mighty Matterhorn. Photo - Lesley Turner Hall, July 2018 SAMOA EVENTS / Jan / 2019 |
