Otago Academy of Sport

17/11/2025

2026 Applications open to join the Academy - Year 1 or Excel Programme. Check out info and criteria on this link. Please share with any talented athletes who are aspiring to higher honours.
https://oas.org.nz/application-form/
Any questions, message Carmel on [email protected]

Otago Academy of Sport applications open in November for the 2023 intake into the Year 1 talent development programme (TDP), and the new year 3 Excel programme for athletes looking for support who are not already in our TDP. New application forms are being developed now ready for the 2023 intake.

07/08/2025

Congratulations Ella Southby. A huge mountain to climb rehabbing from an ACL injury and you have done it! A very determined and hardworking athlete with a great attitude. Super proud of you.

Locked in 🔒

Meet your New Zealand U21 team heading to the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup! 🖤 🌿

07/08/2025

It was an absolute privilege to work with Charlotte through the Otago Academy. She was determined, driven, and deeply committed to exploring how far she could go in her cycling journey. Her maturity stood out and she was always appreciative of any support offered and genuinely grateful for every opportunity. I’ll miss our conversations and the warmth of her presence.
You will be deeply missed Charlotte, but never forgotten. Rest easy now. x

We were saddened to hear the news that Charlotte Paddon passed away earlier this week, aged just 29, peacefully and surrounded by loved ones, following a health battle.

Many of you will have ridden with Charlotte, who started out as a beginner development rider only a few years ago, and quickly moved up the ranks, representing Cycling Otago at the Elite Track Nationals last year. She was passionate and enthusiastic, willing to give any cycling event a go, and get involved in any way she could.

Her funeral will be held at Hope and Sons Funeral Home in Dunedin on Tuesday, 12th August at 11:00am.

12/07/2025

Day 7 — The Final Day of the 2025 Elite Motorsport Academy

The final day kicked off with an early morning recovery session and breath work in the gym to reset and reflect. From there, it was time for the much-anticipated Dragon’s Den Challenge.

The week wrapped up with a celebration lunch and prizegiving at Luna, where we recognised the standout performers of the camp:

🥇 1st Place – Jack Stokes
🥈 2nd Place – Cameron Hill
🥉 3rd Place – Corban Sprague

🏆 Team Apex took out the overall Team Challenge, showing outstanding teamwork, commitment, and consistency throughout the week!

All the boys had an incredible week—learning new skills, pushing themselves to their limits, and most importantly, forming new connections and having a lot of fun along the way.

Best of luck with your future racing careers, boys. We look forward to following your journeys and supporting you every step of the way!
Elite Motorsport Academy New Zealand

11/07/2025

Day 6 of the Elite Motorsport Academy — Mindset, Grit, and Growth

Today kicked off with a mental skills workshop focused on understanding red and blue mindsets. It wasn’t long before the boys were putting their learning into action with a tough sand dune session at Tomahawk Beach.

After the grind, it was time to recover with saunas and ice baths before heading into another mental skills workshop to finish off the afternoon.

The day was topped off with a team run up Baldwin Street, showing once again the strength of their support for one another. The group then wrapped things up by reviewing the data collected from their testing throughout the week.

Another huge day of development—both mentally and physically.
Elite Motorsport Academy New Zealand