Tom Kitchen. Photo supplied.Former Ashburton College student Tom Kitchen has landed his first teaching job and is back on familiar ground.

The 23-year-old has returned to his alma mater as a social science teacher, just five years after completing his formal school studies.

In between, Tom has earned an impressive degree from Otago University that covered German, music, Asian and European studies, and has also completed a graduate diploma at teacher training college.

“I did a practical stint for seven weeks at Ashburton College in term two last year during my training and it was a little weird to come back at first.

“The layout is all very familiar to me, of course, and a number of the staff from my student days are still here, but there’s a new principal now,” he said.

Tom admits to nerves on his first day.

“I’m the one in charge now in the classroom, so there’s responsibility.”

Tom oversees a family form room of 25 Year 9 students.

He teaches two periods of German a week to Year 13 students, as well as social studies to Year 9 students and four periods of tourism to Year 12 students.

“I would love to teach German and maybe music one day, but for now I’m happy to start my journey on the teaching ladder.”

Tom was born in Germany and has a German mum. He moved to New Zealand when he was 11 months old.

He has been fluent in German from a young age and is also a talented singer.

While at Ashburton College, he was a member of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Choir.

Already he has been head-hunted by MSA Men’s Choir conductor Ange Cresswell, a fellow teacher at Ashburton College, and is looking forward to singing with the choir this year.

By Mick Jensen © The Ashburton Courier - 8 February 2018

John Snowden on his way to winning the coveted Ballinger Belt. Photo suppliedIt might have taken almost 20 years to win his first, but Ashburton sharpshooter John Snowden didn’t have to wait anywhere as long to win his second Ballinger Belt in Wellington over the weekend.

The oldest trophy competed for in New Zealand sport, the Ballinger comes with plenty of meaning and history and after winning it in 2013, the quiet and reserved Snowden was rapt to have finally claimed the coveted prize – but to do it again was special.

“To come from behind and win it was special,” Snowden’s wife Coby said.

“He is absolutely thrilled.”

In a field littered with international stars, all of whom were here to check out the surrounds ahead of next year’s World Championships, only three Kiwi shooters made their way into the top 20 of the competition.

The win on the weekend comes off the back of a successful week for Ashburton shooters at the national championships with some good results across the board and higher honours to a number of local shooters – including Snowden’s daughter, Megan, claiming the honour of top scorer for the New Zealand Under 23 side.

But Snowden, who has been selected in the New Zealand team for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast later this year, stole the show with his individual performance.

In the final he was one shot behind defending champion, Jim Bailey from Australia.

The last round consisted of 15 shots from 900 years and with two shots to go, Bailey held a two-point lead and had one hand on the belt before a gust of wind opened the door for Snowden.

Bailey scored a three on the last shot with the wind shift and Snowden kept his cool to score a five which brought the scores level. On a countback of central shots, which is the number of shots dead centre, Snowden emerged on top by one shot to claim the victory.

As is the tradition with the Ballinger Belt, the winner is hoisted and paraded by their club mates – another special moment in the whole event.

Unlike his last victory in 2013, Snowden was unable to bring the belt home with him due to fact it is so valuable and the costs for insuring it and keeping it at the Snowden home would be enormous.

The Belt was presented in 1873 by the Government as a replacement for the first Government Champion Belt won outright when won for the second time in a row in 1872 by Capt Wales of Otago by competing in the annual shooting competition to find the “NZ Champion Shot”.

It was won in 1893 by Arthur Ballinger of Wellington who won it twice more, meaning he was entitled to retain it on the third occasion in 1907.

Arthur donated the “Champion Belt” to the NRA and it was renamed the Ballinger Belt, being presented each year to the winner of the National Championships.

By Matt Markham © The Ashburton Guardian - 5 February 2018

Matthew Clough . Photo supplied.Matt Clough is fit and focused and aiming for a podium finish in the two day event at next week’s Kathmandu Coast To Coast race.

His race is a gruelling 243km bike, kayak and run challenge and he is likely to be the youngest in the field.

Last year the 17-year-old claimed second overall in the mountain run challenge at the Coast To Coast.

“I’m up for the bigger challenge this year. My training has been going very well and I’ll start to ease back a bit this week ahead of the race.”

Matt said 2017 had been a successful year for him and he hoped to take that good form into the race.

His stellar year included second at the ITU World Multisport Championships in Canada in August and victory in the New Zealand Xterra Championships in Rotorua in April.

“I’ve been focused specifically on the Coast To Coast since September and training around 15-20 hours a week.

“A typical training week includes three sessions of running, a couple of kayak paddle outs and two or three bike sessions,” said Matt.

Sessions sometimes combined 90 minutes of biking and 90 minutes of running one day, followed by two hours in the kayak and two hours on the bike the next.

“My favourite and probably strongest discipline is running, but my kayaking has improved quite a bit since I first jumped in the boat 18 months ago.”

He is coached by Axel Reiser from the Canterbury Triathlon Academy.

In the Coast To Coast race, Matt aims to be at the head of the pack after the opening 2.2km run.

A 55km bike leg follows, where drafting is allowed, and day one finishes with the challenging 30.5km Goat’s Pass run.

Day two starts with a 15.5km bike ride, short 1km run, and is followed by 70km paddle, 69.5km bike ride and 200m run to the finish line in Sumner.

“I’ve run the Goat’s Pass course three times now in training and kayaked the river four or five times, so I’m familiar with the course, but a lot will depend on the conditions over the two days,” said Matt Clough.

He would have some nerves before the start of the race, but not as many as his dad Kerry, who was part of his support crew alongside mum Carolyn and physio Shaun Clarke.

He said his role model was top triathlete Braden Currie, who he hoped one day to emulate by winning the Coast To Coast’s Longest Day and also the World Xterra Championships.

Matt Clough will represent New Zealand at his third successive ITU World Multisport Championships in Denmark in July, but before that he is firmly focused on a podium finish come February 10.

By Mick Jensen © The Ashburton Courier - 1 February 2018