Academics

In between athletics and music, Mulan and Miya also do a bit of academic stuff.

Miya:

Last year (2024), Miya finished homeschooling and started secondary school, entering Year 9 at Westlake Girls High School.

It all went well, and at the end of the year she got distinction in Maths, Music, Science and Social Studies, as well as Year 9 Academic Excellence.  She collected her certificates on stage at the end-of-year prizegiving.

This year for Year 10 she chose Music, Dance and Fabric Technology (ie sewing) as her three optional subjects.  She was selected into the Maths Extension class, and is also doing English, Science, Social Studies, PE and Health.

Term 1 has just finished, and Miya is having a relaxing school holiday.

Mulan:

Last year was Mulan's final year at secondary school.  Alongside sitting NCEA 3 in Music, Calculus, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, she also decided to have a go at Scholarship in Music, Biology and Chemistry.

Scholarship is pretty difficult.  Only the top students in New Zealand attempt it, and only about 3% of those who attempt it get it.  Our advice to Mulan was to just treat it as a fun learning experience, and a good introduction to how university learning will likely be.

Delightfully, she got Scholarship Music, and her marks were close in Biology and Chemistry.  Westlake Girls acknowledged the Scholarship winners early this year at a prizegiving.

But the priority for Mulan was to do well enough in her NCEA 3 courses to get into her preferred university course.

By midway through the year Mulan had decided that she wanted to go to Auckland University and do a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science (and continue living at home).

Entry into Biomed requires at least 280 points in NCEA 3 courses, which is higher than most other university courses (eg, a normal BSc requires 165 points).  Roughly, this meant that she needed to get at least 40 excellence credits and 40 merit credits at NCEA 3.

Happily, Mulan got what she needed, and was accepted into Auckland Uni Biomed.

At the moment Mulan doesn't yet know what she wants to specialise in.  She enjoys biology and chemistry, and there are lots of different directions it could take her.

This year Mulan has been kept busy with her studies.  There's a lot of content to learn, and when she's not at uni she's often in her room studying.  It's now mid-semester break and no classes, but unlike Miya most days she's still working.

Music

Alongside athletics, Mulan and Miya are equally involved in music.  Here's what they've been doing:

Mulan:

Last year (2024) Mulan was very involved with music at her school (Westlake Girls High School).  The Westlake schools (both girls and boys) have an excellent music programme, and are especially active in the large group orchestras, bands and choirs.

Mulan played cello in the Westlake Symphony Orchestra and Westlake Chamber Orchestra, and also sang in the Cigno Voce choir.  Mid year, they performed at the KBB Festival and Big Sing events.  Her string quartet performed at the Chamber Music Contest.

Through Westlake, Mulan had weekly lessons in both cello and singing.  She joined two weekend school music camps, for choir and orchestra.

She also played flute in the West City Youth Concert Band, and performed at the New Zealand Concert Bands Association Nationals in Hamilton.

But her main instrument continues to be the recorder, which she had private lessons in throughout the year.

Mulan took music as a Year 13 subject, and sat NCEA 3 Music, achieving excellence.

She also sat Music Scholarship, which involved her performing on the recorder and writing a 3000-word essay analysing the piece she played.  Scholarship is tough to get, and in 2024 of the 2088 New Zealand students who sat it in music, only 60 got scholarship plus 6 got outstanding (stats here).

Delightfully, Mulan got Music Scholarship (and $500 for her efforts)!

This year (2025) Mulan has stepped back a bit with her music, to focus on her university studies.

However, she continues to play flute in the West City Youth Concert Band.  The National Festival this year will be in July in Wellington.  This will be Mulan's first big independent trip, flying down and staying in a backpackers for the weekend.

This year Mulan has also started a part-time student job, teaching recorder at Birkdale North Music Centre.  On Saturday mornings, Mulan teaches five classes of beginner recorder to primary-aged children.

Miya:

Last year Miya started at Westlake Girls High School, and immediately got involved in lots of music groups.

She was in the Year 9 Music Academy subject class.  She newly picked up the French horn, and had weekly lessons in that and also clarinet.

She auditioned for and was selected into the senior Westlake Concert Band, playing clarinet.  She also played in the junior Symphonic Band.  She performed at the KBB Festival, and attended two weekend school music camps.

Miya also played clarinet in the West City Youth Concert Band, and performed at the Nationals.

This year, Miya is doing even more music at Westlake.

She is in four groups -- Westlake Symphony Orchestra, Westlake Concert Band, Westlake Symphonic Band, and Nota Bella choir.  She's having lessons in clarinet, French horn and singing.  Again, she's taking music as one of her subject options.  And again, she went away on a weekend music camp.

In the coming months Miya will perform at the Big Sing, KBB Festival, and the Chamber Music Contest.

With being so busy doing Westlake music, Miya decided to stop playing in the West City Band.

But the big exciting news for Miya is that Westlake is planning a music group trip to China in April of next year.  About 100 students across the four senior orchestra/bands will go to Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai, performing and sightseeing.

Athletics season finished

Another athletics season has just finished, and it's nice for us to look back on what we've all achieved.

We train at the Takapuna Athletics Club, which in the last few years has been growing really well with excellent coaches and facilities.  The training squad is super supportive, and everyone is doing so well.

This season we had a lot of travel round the country for competitions.  Masters North Islands Champs in Whangarei, NZ Schools Champs in Timaru, North Island Colgate Games in Hastings, and National Champs in Dunedin.

Miya:

This season Miya got new PBs in high jump (1.62m), triple jump (10.10m), long jump (4.52m), and 80m hurdles (13.33s).  She broke Takapuna Club records in high jump and pentathlon.  She's a national champion in the pentathlon, and got silver and bronze national medals in high jump and triple jump.

Miya's results are now good enough that she has an Athletics New Zealand profile here.

Miya also has a World Athletics profile here.  The funny thing is that they have also included some of Mulan's results (and taken an odd selection of Miya's results)!

New Zealand Secondary Schools Champs (6-8 December), Junior Girls (Under 16)

4th high jump (1.55m)

10th triple jump (9.80m)

12th 80m hurdles (13.80s)

12th 300m hurdles (52.35s in heat, 52.78s in semi)

Results

North Island Colgate Games (10-12 January), Grade 14

4th high jump (1.54m)

7th 80m hurdles (13.93s heat, 13.77s final)

11th long jump (4.32m)

Live results

Auckland Senior Champs (18 January, 1-2 February), Under 16 Women

4th 300m hurdles (53.52s)

Results

Auckland Junior Champs (21, 23 February), Grade 14

2nd high jump (1.60m)

4th 80m hurdles (14.08s)

5th long jump (4.43m)

High jump results

Hurdles results

Long jump results

New Zealand Champs (6-9 March), Under 16 Women

2nd high jump (1.58m)

3rd triple jump (9.99m)

10th 80m hurdles (15.68s)

Live results

Auckland Junior Pentathlon Champs (15 March), Grade 14

6th pentathlon - 800m, discus, 200m, shot put, long jump (2415 points)

Results

Auckland Secondary Schools Champs (18, 20 March), Intermediate Girls (Under 17)

2nd triple jump (10.01m)

3rd high jump (1.55m)

8th 80m hurdles (13.61s)

8th 300m hurdles (52.28s)

13th long jump (4.47m)

Triple jump & high jump results

80m hurdles results

300m hurdles results

Long jump results

New Zealand & Auckland Combined Events Champs (22-23 March), Under 16 Women

1st pentathlon - 80m hurdles, high jump, shot put, javelin, 600m (2331 points)

Results

North Island Secondary Schools Champs (5-6 April), Intermediate Girls (Under 17)

5th high jump (1.62m) - PB

10th triple jump (9.72m)

12th 80m hurdles (13.33s) - PB

Live results

Mulan:

Back in October Mulan did a fun 10km run participating in the North Shore Marathon.

Mulan got a new PB in the triple jump (10.48m, but we think it was measured wrong and was probably 10.28m).  At the beginning of the year she went up to Under 20 grade, meaning higher hurdles and heavier throwing implements.  At the new hurdle height she ran the 100m hurdles in 18.10s.  She got Takapuna Club records in the heptathlon and hurdles.  She got her first national champs medal -- bronze in the heptathlon.

Mulan also has an Athletics New Zealand profile here.

New Zealand Secondary Schools Champs (6-8 December), Senior Girls (Under 20)

10th triple jump (9.65m)

12th 100m hurdles (18.50s)

16th long jump (4.39m)

Results

Auckland Senior Champs (18 January, 1-2 February), Under 20 Women

1st triple jump (9.98m)

1st javelin (12.79m)

2nd long jump (4.48m)

Results

Javelin results

New Zealand & Auckland Combined Events Champs (22-23 March), Under 20 Women

1st Auckland, 3rd New Zealand heptathlon (2857 points)

Results

Me:

This season I was at the old end of my age grade, and next season I'll enter the 50-54 age category.  For the first time I tried out some masters competitions -- first the North Island Champs and then the New Zealand Champs.  I'm a national champion in the triple jump, and got national champs silver in the long jump (at this age it's often more about who is able to survive without too many injuries!).

North Island Masters Champs (29 November - 1 December), Masters Men 45-49

1st triple jump (10.79m)

1st long jump (5.09m)

1st high jump (1.34m)

2nd 60m (8.50s)

2nd 100m (13.36s)

Results

Auckland Senior Champs (18 January, 1-2 February), Masters Men 45-49

1st triple jump (10.22m)

1st long jump (5.12m)

1st 400m hurdles (1:21.75s)

2nd high jump (1.35m)

2nd discus (20.20m)

2nd javelin (24.10m)

Results

Javelin & hurdles results

Auckland Combined Events Champs (22-23 March), Masters Men 45-49

1st pentathlon - long jump, javelin, 200m, discus, 1500m (2188 points)

Results

New Zealand Masters Champs (28-30 March), Masters Men 45-49

1st triple jump (10.59m)

2nd long jump (5.31m)

Results

University

Mulan has now finished school and is off to university next year.

Coincidently, Forrest Valkai just posted this on YouTube.  In three minutes he sums up perfectly the point of university.  What he describes is very much my own experience of university life.  Highly recommended, and awesome advice.

Updated "About us" page

I've just updated the "About us" page on the blog.

Life changes, and it was time for an update.

Easter

It's Easter.

Our calendar is looking weirdly empty for the next five days, and Mulan and Miya are looking forward to relaxing with almost nothing planned.

For lunch today they're having Chinese time; they're out with Mama and friends having a restaurant meal.

Meanwhile, over the past few days I've been enjoying contemplating the meaning of Easter as originally intended in the Gospels of the Bible.

This video is part one of a multipart mini-series by James Tabor.  It's decently detailed, with each 20-50min video covering one day in the story of Jesus' final week.  Highly recommended for those interested in the texts themselves.

But here's my practical takeaway message from the first couple of days:

Those who know me know that I'm an ethical vegetarian.  Animals have the capacity to suffer -- they feel pain and have their own interests.  We shouldn't unnecessarily cause them pain and suffering.  We (mostly) don't need to eat them.

I'm delighted that Jesus in the Gospels was strongly and forcefully trying to put a stop to the unnecessary torture and slaughter of millions of animals.  On day two, when Jesus disrupts the temple, he quotes the Hebrew Bible as scriptural authority to stop the killing of the animals.

I really hope that more Christians would follow Jesus on this one.

Athletics season finished

Our athletics season is over.  The big comps are done, and we had our final clubnight last night.  It's good to have a rest; it's been a busy several weeks.

(We're not joining the schools North Island Champs in about 10 days, as it clashes with a school senior music camp that both Mulan and Miya are attending.)

Miya:

Miya's had an awesome season, with huge improvements and some great competition results.  It was a huge experience for her to qualify and compete at the Nationals.

This season Miya got new PBs in high jump (1.54m), triple jump (10.04m), long jump (4.50m), 80m hurdles (13.41sec) and 300m hurdles (51.67sec).

Takapuna Club nominated Miya for the Auckland Junior Track and Field Sportsperson of the Year.

Miya broke Club records in high jump, triple jump and sprint hurdles (some still to be updated).

Her competition results include:

North Island Colgate Games (5-7 January), Grade 13:

• 6th 80m hurdles (4th in North Island)
• 8th high jump
• 10th discus (8th in North Island)
• 10th shot put (9th in North Island)
• 4th Takapuna Club team 4x100m relay (3rd in North Island)

Results

South Island Colgate Games (12-14 January), Grade 13:

• 2nd high jump
• 2nd 80m hurdles
• 12th discus

Results

Auckland Senior Track & Field Champs (3-4 February), Under 16 Women:

(The hurdles races were held on another day, but we didn't compete as we were busy.)

• 2nd triple jump (PB)
• 3rd= high jump
• 9th long jump

Results

Auckland Junior Champs (23-24 February), Grade 13:

• 1st high jump
• 3rd 80m hurdles
• 9th= long jump

Results

Auckland Junior Pentathlon Champs (9 March), Grade 13:

• 4th pentathlon

Results

New Zealand Track & Field Champs (14-17 March), Under 16 Women:

(Miya's performances during the season meant she qualified for five events, but she decided to just do three, and didn't sign up for 300m hurdles or long jump.  A lot of the girls she competed against were a year older than her, so she's got a really good chance to do well next season, when she'll still be an Under 16.)

• 4th= high jump
• 10th 80m hurdles (PB)
• 13th triple jump

Results

Auckland Combined Events Champs (23-24 March), Under 16 Women:

• 2nd heptathlon

Results

Schools Auckland Champs (26 March), Junior Girls:

(To compete in this competition, athletes first needed to qualify by placing in the schools Zones competition.  Miya qualified in five events, but decided to scratch from the long jump and just focus on four events.)

• 1st triple jump
• 2nd 70m hurdles
• 2nd 300m hurdles (PB)
• 3rd high jump (PB)

Track results, field results

Mulan:

Mulan's had another great year of athletics.

She got new PBs in triple jump (9.89m), 100m hurdles (18.20sec) and 300m hurdles (52.71sec).

She broke Club records in both the sprint and long hurdles.

Mulan received a trophy for the best female field event athlete at the Auckland Launch competition.

And she got third Senior at the Westlake Girls Athletics Day.

Her competition results include:

Auckland Senior Track & Field Champs (3-4 February), Under 18 Women:

• 2nd triple jump (PB)
• 3rd long jump
• 5th shot put

Auckland Combined Events Champs (23-24 March), Under 18 Women:

• 2nd heptathlon

Schools Auckland Champs (26 March), Senior Girls:

(Mulan qualified in five events, but didn't want to scratch from any.  Unfortunately the programme wasn't ideal for her, and she triple jumped ten minutes after running the 300m hurdles.  Understandably her jumps weren't as good as usual, otherwise she probably would have got 3rd.)

• 3rd 100m hurdles (PB)
• 4th 300m hurdles (PB)
• 4th triple jump
• 7th long jump
• 10th shot put

Me:

I'm still continuing with athletics, and at the moment I'm feeling in pretty good shape due to trying to keep up with the girls at training and comps.

I got a new "old person" best (personal best since returning to athletics nine years ago) in the triple jump (10.97m).  I also tried out the 400m hurdles for the first time in my life!

I got Club records in 800m, 1500m, 400m hurdles and triple jump.

I also broke my Auckland Masters pentathlon record (here).

Auckland Senior Track & Field Champs (3-4 February), Masters Men 45-49:

• 1st triple jump
• 1st long jump
• 2nd high jump
• 4th 60m
• 4th 100m

Auckland Combined Events Champs (23-24 March), Masters Men 45-49:

• 1st pentathlon