Meet our Team

Languages spoken / taught?
Spanish and English.

What inspired your interest in teaching?
I first knew I wanted to teach when I was in primary school. As a child I loved learning and was fortunate the have wonderful teachers who facilitated my interests and subsequently made me appreciate the long-lasting, positive effects that teachers can have on the lives of young people.

What do you love most about your role and why?
In the IB ab initio program, students have no knowledge of the target language when they begin at Year 11, but by the time they graduate in Year 12 they are able to communicate quite fluently. I love facilitating this journey and helping the boys to gain expertise and confidence with their language use.

Why would you recommend studying a foreign language?
In addition to the myriad of cognitive benefits of second language acquisition, there are a world of social, educational and professional opportunities that manifest themselves as a result of being multilingual. Personally, I know that if I hadn’t studied Spanish I wouldn’t have been able to travel as widely or as safely, made many of the friendships that I have today, or have had many of the professional opportunities that I have been fortunate enough to have.

What is the most interesting place you have visited and why? 
I spent a lot of time in Mexico in my twenties, travelling from Hermosillo and Monterrey in the north to Chiapas in the south. I was based in Mexico City for a year and was astonished by the kindness of the people, the richness of the history, and the eclectic blend of indigenous and European culture. While I have travelled to many interesting places, Mexico has thus far left the greatest impression on me and has had the greatest impact on the way my life has played out.

Favourite quote (in a language other than English)?
My favourite foreign language quote is Latin and attributed to Cicero but is likely the rewording of an idea. ‘Dum spiro, spero’ (While I breathe, I hope). I just think it’s a good motto to live by.

What inspired your love of rowing?
I have loved rowing since the first time I was able to get out on the water and compete in a boat.

Tell us about one of the highlights of your rowing career?
A highlight of my coaching career was lifting the Rusty Robertson Trophy for the New Zealand Under 21 team while coaching with my wife, who is also a rowing coach, against Australia. We have since become good friends with Christine MacLaren who was the very good manager of the Australian team – she looks after our sausage dog Weenie for us when we are away on camps!

What did you learn from your time as a (professional?) rower?
I was a coxswain and it taught me to the importance of earning trust and respect through hard work. If you want to lead others, you need to earn the right to do so.

Is there a coach or athlete that you looked up to as a role model when you were starting out (and why)?
When I was at school we used to compete against crews coached by Ian Wright, who is now the Australian Men’s Team Head Coach. I looked up to him because his teams were incredibly disciplined and tough. I’m also lucky to get to work with our Rowing Administrator Amanda Tidswell who also represented Australia and is much the same.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given by a coach?
The best advice I was ever given is that the growth is in the hard bits. Every tough situation is an opportunity to develop yourself.

What qualities make you a great coach?
I’m not even the best coach in my marriage but I have certainly been lucky to work with some great athletes and to learn from some great coaches.

What do you enjoy most about your role and why?
I live it when I get to help develop and be part of a team who all trust one another to operate at a high standard. There is no better feeling.

What do you love most about your role here?
That I can make an impact on the way children eat and relate to food. Introducing them to tastes of the world and hearing their reactions is priceless! I love the interaction I have with the children – they learn from me and I learn from them.

What have been some of the highlights?
Seeing the children progress through the ELC and watching their tastes change and grow, creating a relationship through food and fun.

What’s your most popular recipe among kids?
Beef Ravioli with Bolognaise Sauce and Spaghetti Carbonara. The children have surprised me, also enjoying meals like Lemongrass Chicken & Rice and Five Spice Chicken.

Any tips for fussy eaters?
Yes, discover what foods they really like to eat and work with those ingredients first, incorporating them into their meals. Then slowly add one thing, then another. Don’t give up, keep experimenting and remember children’s tastes are always changing so it may take a little time for some.

What excites kid’s appetites - apart from sugar?
I think it’s the same as us - the social situation of sitting down at a table with their classmates, chatting with their friends and enjoying the meal. Also, burgers!

What inspired you to create a recipe book?
It’s no secret that it can be a challenge to get some young children to eat, and to eat nutritionally at home. I’ve had the opportunity to create and discover which recipes work and don’t, with children who are not afraid to speak their mind. They give me the thumbs up or down now, it’s become a thing! I started to get so many requests from parents for my recipes that I decided to put them together, to create my first cookbook for young children and for the parents.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Even at home I still love food and I’m always looking for new ideas, creating new recipes, trying different restaurants, going to markets and food events. I enjoy spending time with friends and family and travelling the world. 

What inspired your love for books?
We had a room full of books when I was growing up. My parents gave me the freedom to read anything I liked, which helped me develop an appreciation for reading. I have fond memories of starting and finishing books within a day when I was a teenager, it was such an exhilarating feeling! Gaining knowledge and immersing myself into different worlds sustain my continued enthusiasm to pick up a book even when I’m tired. We are so lucky to have access to any books we like.

What do you enjoy most about your role and why?
Connecting students with information and resources that help them gain knowledge, become more confident, and enjoy themselves is very rewarding. Libraries are happy places.

If you could take only one book to a desert island, what would it be and why?
Long walk to freedom by Nelson Mandela. One of history’s greatest political leaders, such an inspiration.

Which one book should all children read?
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

If you could be a storybook character, who would you be and why?
There are so many interesting and lovable storybook characters out there! I have a soft spot for animals so I will go with Paddington Bear, I like his sincerity and good intentions, he’s so clumsy!

Favourite author?
Currently, Richard Flanagan.

Favourite quote?
"You either walk inside your story and own it, or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” Brene Brown