Bruce Grant Youth Trust

Press release from American Express Queenstown Winter Festival and Bruce Grant Youth Trust

20 May 2010

Hamish Bagley picks up major winter award

Top snowboarder 14-year-old Hamish Bagley of Arrowtown has been named the recipient of the 2010 Winter Festival Special Achiever Award - an annual grant from the Bruce Grant Youth Trust.

The Wakatipu High School NZ Alpine Sports Academy member and Year 10 student has a long list of achievements in the halfpipe discipline, recently taking out second place in the  USA Snowboard Association Nationals' under-14 competition at Copper Mountain in Colorado and currently holding  the title of New Zealand's under 14 halfpipe champion.

"Hamish is a phenomenal athlete.  He's very young but already displays the drive and commitment that ensure he will reach the top of his discipline," said Bruce Grant Youth Trust chairman Andrew Brinsley. "The Trust looks to support young people who have the drive to succeed and can demonstrate a history of success and commitment.  We are delighted to announce Hamish as the second annual recipient of this award."

As the 2010 recipient, Hamish will receive up to $10,000 raised during the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival.  The Festival 'Thriller in the Chiller' boxing event has been designated to support the Trust with a charity auction as part of the evening's entertainment.  Trust members and supporters will also collect coins at several public events during the Festival.

Festival organiser Simon Green says that supporting the Bruce Grant Youth Trust is part of the Festival's commitment to the Queenstown community.

"The Festival is about community, it's a celebration of Queenstown - the people who live here and the environment we live in.  It is great to support a charity which also celebrates local people and we are particularly happy to be raising funds for a proven performer in winter sports."

The Bruce Grant Youth Trust was set up in 1995 to preserve the legacy of Bruce Grant, a Queenstown adventurer who died after reaching the summit of K2 in the Himalayas on August 13, 1995.  An Olympic skier, mountaineering great, extreme sportsman, Festival legend and an extraordinary individual, Bruce Grant was a Queenstown adventurer whose special attitude to life touched a community and continues to provide inspiration to local young people. The Trust's purpose is to raise funds to assist or promote the youth of the Wakatipu Basin to undertake sports, arts or cultural activities, in which they excel or show a particular interest.

Hamish Bagley says he's rapt with the recognition and that the funds will go towards getting him back to the Northern Hemisphere for further training with the New Zealand winter sports Project 2014 team. "This will really help as I work towards the Junior World Championships to be held at Cardrona and The Remarkables in August and to get to the Northern hemisphere for training after the season here.  My long term goals are to get to the Olympics someday, maybe 2018."

In the short term, Hamish is working to qualify for the Junior Worlds - no mean feat as he is just 14 years old and will be up against bigger, stronger and more experienced snowboarders up to 19 years of age.

The inaugural recipient of the award was Tim Cafe who represented the Trust, Queenstown and New Zealand at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Further information:

Bruce Grant Youth Trust:  www.brucegrantyouthtrust.org.nz  or Andy Brinsley on 027 432 4040 or andy@kjet.co.nz

American Express Queenstown Winter Festival: www.winterfestival.co.nz or Simon Green on  or simon@winterfestival.co.nz