Pip Poole
Profiled July 2016
Phillippa (Pip) Poole is a North West member who has given back to the sport in many ways, most recently as Club President and as a representative on the ONZ council. She is always a willing helper at events and a keen supporter of newcomers to the sport.
She took some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for us:
Number of years orienteering?
My first forest run was in 1983 on the Woodhill map that is now the MTB park. The Asia Pacific Orienteering Champs 1984 in Naseby soon after was the first major event.
How were you introduced to orienteering?
Once upon a time, Rob Garden had a house in Onehunga. Upon visiting a med school classmate who was his flatmate, Rob enthused me to come out to the forest. I was hooked from that day onwards.
Key orienteering achievements to date?
A highlight has been wearing the Silver Fern as part of nearly every ANZ challenge team for my grade over the past 20 years, plus being part of the winning relay team at 2008 Nationals with Tom Reynolds and Mark Lawson. As one gets older and slower, it still feels neat to jump down banks, climb fences, and cover uneven ground!
Off the map, the experience of being President of the mighty NW is definitely up there, as is being part of the crew working to put on Oceania and WMOC in Auckland next year.
Current orienteering project or goal?
To make more time to train and improve speed for next year’s big events, yet being careful to remain injury-free. However, a bigger goal is to help ensure Oceania and WMOC in Auckland are the best events ever in Australasia. Here’s an unashamed plug to everyone in NWOC to sign up as volunteers now!
Favourite map and why?
There are so many. Mt Kooyoora in Victoria captures the essence of the landscape of Australia, being filled with astounding rock formations, shrubs and wildlife. Back home, the gold mining maps in Naseby and Bannockburn provide special challenges.
Map you have yet to experience but aspire to orienteer on?
My dream is to compete in WMOC as a W90 on whatever map that is!
Orienteering hero?
No question, Rob and Marquita, for what they have given and continue to give to NW and NZ orienteering. Their enthusiasm and dedication to excellence in almost every aspect of orienteering is inspiring. It’s hard to imagine where NWOC and NZ orienteering would be without them.
Day job?
Professor of Medicine at the University of Auckland and General Physician at Auckland City Hospital. I’ve had the privilege of seeing several exceptional young orienteers move through their training to become fine doctors.
Other interests?
Mountain biking, tramping, my large extended family.
Can you tell us a bit about your responsibilities as a representative on ONZ council?
As part of a friendly and experienced team, this role helps you to contribute to the wider orienteering scene in NZ. Recently, ONZ councillors have been busy with strategic planning, policy development, governance re-structure and constitutional change in order to strengthen the organisation considerably.
In my view, current challenges are first, communicating adequately with everyone in the NZ orienteering community; second, balancing the needs of high performer individuals with the need to support clubs. For example, there are not many clubs in NZ with the capacity to run Nationals or other major events.
ONZ has a half time secretariat, with the rest of the governance structure volunteers, some of whom (not councillors) receive a small remuneration. Time commitment for councillors is a monthly two-hour teleconference and a face-to-face meeting each year, with some work between meetings.
I’ll be stepping down in 2017. Under the new ONZ constitution, any ONZ member may stand for election to this vacancy. Please feel free to discuss with me if you wish to contribute at this level to NZ orienteering.
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