Jenny Cade

Profiled October 2016

As are so many NW members at present, Jenny is currently living and breathing Oceania, as Arena Manager for Long and Relay Events. She also contributes a huge amount behind the scenes as the Club Secretary and for that we thank her!

How were you introduced to orienteering?
I first got involved about 10 years ago when our daughter Lauren Holmes went with a friend to a night sprint. I remember running around the streets with her in the dark. Lauren went on to get involved in School events and was eventually enticed to the forest.  After a couple of years being a patient parent waiting for her to reappear, and being regularly harassed (nicely) by Mike Beveridge and Rob Garden to give it a go, I eventually succumbed.  It’s a great sport we now enjoy as a family.

Key orienteering achievements to date?
I think my achievements as an orienteering administrator far outweigh any of my achievements 'on the map' to date. Highlights would be all the fun times I had as Manager of the Dio School Team and especially the trips away to NISS & NZSS events and accompanying 5 girls to the World Schools Champs in Portugal in 2013.  Organising the JAFA Queens Birthday 3-day event in 2015 for North West also provided a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Current orienteering project or goal?
Like many other Club members, I'm involved with organising Oceania - I'm Arena Manager for the Oceania Long and Relay events so ensuring these events run to plan is my current goal. The venues are stunning and I’m dreaming of sunny skies...
For World Masters Games, I'm part of the registration team and then I’m competing too – in that regard finishing is my goal!

Favourite map and why?                                                           
A sprint map ... I like the detail on sprint maps, to me there’s less interpretation required than on a forest map. I like the density of information and the need to make decisions quickly. To me forest maps are much more vague (and bewildering!)

Orienteering hero?
My daughter Lauren - I'm in awe of her ability to interpret the subtleties of complex maps at great speed.

Day job?
Pharmacist, Health Education Resource Writer, Project Manager plus family secretary!

Other interests?
Hiking – I love getting ‘off the grid’ and escaping to a simple life. Hikes this year have included Lake Waikaremoana and Banks Track, near Akaroa. Last year I was lucky enough to do some hiking in the Swiss Alps and I’d love to return there one day.

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