Sir Graeme Avery honoured

Back in March 2017 BayBuzz previewed the ambitious plans of Sir Graeme Avery for a health and fitness centre to be established at the Regional Sports Park. 

At the time, roughly a year into its life, the project was paper – a set of drawings and blueprints that Graeme laid out on the table with his customary exuberance. But he already had raised $12m and for anyone looking at his track record and history of building major stakeholder partnerships around big ideas, there could be little doubt that the vision would be achieved.

The plans foreshadowed everything that has come to pass in less than six years since, including an aquatic centre. But for Graeme the emphasis has never been on the ‘bricks and mortar’ facilities, but rather on changing lives, particularly young lives – physically in terms of sound nutrition and fitness, and mentally in terms of positive aspirations and confidence.

As Graeme put it at the time: “The primary thrust and the predominant programmes will be all about community health and wellness, through highly structured programmes on healthy eating, health cooking, healthy food shopping and active recreation for life.”

Our article ended this way …

“At its most obvious level, the Centre is about healthy eating and fitness. Worthy enough. But what really motivates Sir Graeme Avery is the need and opportunity to change lives. He describes a conversation Marcus Agnew (Ed: who was already putting together the fitness programmes) had with a ten-year-old already participating in the Centre’s Wairoa programme. He asked the boy what he wanted to be. ‘President’, the boy replied. ‘President of what?’ Marcus asked. ‘The Mongrel Mob’ said the boy.”

Avery and his mob were really out to change that life.

Last week, Sir Graeme Avery was honoured for his remarkable accomplishment in bringing to birth the vision he had just a few years ago – what’s become an $80m plus asset tackling community health issues and supporting youth to reach their potential.

With Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash presiding, the latest ‘installment’ in the complex’s facilities – a 72-bed youth hostel – was officially named the Sir Graeme S. Avery House.

A mob of Graeme Avery co-conspirators and collaborators were on hand to celebrate a remarkable man – repeatedly described as a ‘force of nature’ – for his leadership and contribution, alongside wife Gaby.

Graeme commented with genuine modesty: “I don’t do things to receive recognition or even a gong from the Queen or King. Gaby and I do it to help people to be the best they can be in sport or individually with their health and wellbeing, that’s all the recognition I need.”

Nonetheless, those attending could not imagine anyone more deserving of public recognition for his contribution to Hawke’s Bay. 

Well done Sir Graeme and Gaby Avery.

And no doubt there’s more to come. As Graeme said at the ceremony, “It’s no longer good enough to be world class, we need to be world leading.” Not idle words from someone like Graeme.