Global stage calls for young orienteerers

Eddie Swain is eager to test his orienteering abilities as he prepares to travel to Bulgaria to race in the European Youth Championships.

It's the biggest youth orienteering event in the world, and he says it serves as a pseudo World Cup, with the top racers all in attendance.

With almost 500 people already signed up for the event in June, he says he's trying to be "as realistic as possible" with his goals and hopes to finish in the top 50.

Having just turned 16, he has been moved into the U18 grade and expects there to be tough racing against people much older than him.

"I'll see where I am in the world from this.

"There's this thing called the JWOC (Junior World Orienteering Champs). It's the U20 world champs, and I didn't make the team this year because I'm 16.

"It's a really good experience going over to Europe, and three years down the track, this is who I'll be versing at the JWOC."

Eddie says he found his love for racing at New Zealand training camps, having attended his first one when he was 13.

While he had raced non-competitively before that, it was the camps where he found out how much fun orienteering could be.

"I kept going to camps and kept improving. I always knew I could be quite good, then I started training really hard last year, and the results started coming."

Living in Aniseed Valley, he says a lot of his training is using the elevation of the hills as well as doing at least one-or-two races a week.

He's always been quite a fit person, with his family often enjoying outdoor adventures.

"Our family holidays, we didn't do the normal things and go sit on the beach. We went to Nepal and tramped around the Everest Base Camp because that's our idea of fun.

"I was also a competitive swimmer for four-or-five years before that, so I have a really good base fitness."

He says that the strength of the local orienteering competitors has also aided his rapid progression, with Riley Croxford and Zefa Fa'avae, who have both been selected for the New Zealand JWOC team, all helping to drive each other to achieve and obtaining impressive results in the process.

"We really train quite hard and push the boundaries. Having them at local competitions is definitely really helpful.

"The Nelson scene is really strong for quite a small place."

As part of the fundraising to help pay for Eddie's travel to Europe, he is hosting a Rogaine next Wednesday at Silvan Bike Park, with tickets for adults costing $20 and juniors $10.

With sign-ups from 4pm and start times as late as 6pm, he says the course he's designed has something for everyone.

"Beginners are most welcome. There's a good option for lower levels, but also really good options for more experienced people."

The course can also be completed on foot or mountain bike and will stay open until 5 June for people who can't make it on the day.

Alongside Eddie's fundraising, Riley is also hosting a rogaine to raise funds as he also prepares to travel to Europe for the JWOC.

He will also compete with brother Leo at the European Youth Orienteering Champs.

Riley's event runs this Saturday afternoon on Rough Island, with details of both events available through the Nelson Orienteering Club's Facebook page.