Andre Betham says he feels “blessed” to be a 2016 Māori Sports Award winner.
The Trillion Trust scholarship will provide financial assistance for Andre to study a Diploma of Sports and Recreation at Manukau Institute of Technology.
“It was a good blessing,” he says. “It was important to receive it. It took a lot of hard work, and there were a lot of obstacles to get through.”
As a proud Ngā Puhi and Ngāi Hāmoa descendant, Andre says “it means a lot to me because it’s a Māori award. I was brought up in the Māori culture, so it was really emotional.”
The 18-year-old is an accomplished rugby star; he plays hooker for five different rugby teams, including the U19 Counties Manukau Māori and the New Zealand Māori Te Hiku o Te Ika U19s Rugby Union.
“I’ve been playing rugby since I was five,” he says. “When I was a kid, my mum took me to watch the All Blacks play Australia. After the game, Jonah Lomu came up to us and he said that one day I could be an All Black too. He was a big inspiration for me.”
He has an opportunity to play rugby professionally once he graduates, but also has his sights set on the adventure tourism industry. “I like to be outdoors, I don’t like to sit around.”
“I want to get everything done, all my qualifications, by the time I’m 21. It’s about how you focus to achieve.”
As a 2015 prefect at James Cook High School and a speaker for Duffy Books reading programme, Andre wants to help other people realise their own potential.
“A lot of people think that they can’t achieve, and I always tell them ‘never say never.’ I want to tell people that if I can do it, they can do it.”
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