Sports Hawke’s Bay Scholarship keeps three athletes on the world stage and in the classroom

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

2 minutes ago

Last week Sport Hawke’s Bay and EIT celebrated the three recipients of the 2026 Sport Hawke’s Bay EIT Sport Scholarship. Awarded annually, the scholarship gives student-athletes financial support to ease the load of juggling study and sport, so they can focus on excelling at both.

For 20-year-old Central Hawke’s Bay ākonga Emily Brun, that support meant she could stay on top of her study while representing New Zealand in indoor hockey, attending both the 2025 World Cup in Croatia and a tournament in South Africa. Now in her third year, Emily has her eyes set firmly on a career in sport and plans to take a postgraduate paper in nutrition next year, with the goal of becoming a sports nutritionist.

“It’s such an honour to receive this scholarship. These opportunities mean a lot for an athlete in a small community, and the financial support allows us to continue our self-funded sporting activities, which cost thousands of dollars.”

Fellow third-year student Aniela Apperley, a Heretaunga local and Napier Girls’ High School alumna, has a different path in mind for applying her love of sport and her newly gained knowledge in sport, recreation and exercise – she’s thinking of “maybe doing a post grad in primary school teaching”.

“I’ve always had an interest in sport, so it made sense to come and study something in the same field. And the variety of the three-year course really resonated. It’s a perfect fifty-fifty mix of hands-on versus classroom learning. Looking at slides all day would be a bit boring; you put it into practical learning and it’s easier to understand.”

When she isn’t studying, you’ll find Aniela representing New Zealand in indoor cricket or playing for the Central Hinds in outdoor cricket, and she credits the scholarship with making it all possible. “I was really grateful. It meant that I could stay at home, save some money and still practise what I love to do.”

Aniela also found EIT’s information days invaluable when she was deciding on her next steps after school. “Taking the school tours and attending two of the info days really helped sell it for me.”

The third and youngest recipient, Mackenzie Speers, is in her first year, having started straight out of Havelock North High School, and she’s enjoying the mix of real-world experience and classroom learning. “I like the environment, the people you get to work with.”

When it comes to mixing study with her sporting pursuits, Mackenzie likes how EIT is teaching her to be better at her sport – learning about the body and gaining the knowledge to help her become a stronger triathlete.

Mackenzie has been competing in triathlons since her first year of high school. She started out in a team, taking on the running stage, before going it alone and tackling all three. She placed 19th at the Xterra Youth World Champs in Italy, and in 2025 represented New Zealand at the Age Group World Championships in Australia, where she finished 26th individually and fourth with her relay team.

Next, Mackenzie hopes to travel and compete overseas for New Zealand, and to further her degree with a focus on performance analysis.

These three young wāhine are prime examples of the calibre of talent Sport Hawke’s Bay and EIT are proud to support through the scholarship programme.

“We’re incredibly fortunate to have a partner in EIT that shares our commitment to developing talented, capable young people who will contribute to the future of our region, whether that’s on the sporting field, in the workplace, or within our communities”, says Sue Smith, General Manager at Sport Hawke’s Bay.

We wish all three of the 2026 recipients success in wherever their degrees and sporting endeavours take them.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/01/sports-hawkes-bay-scholarship-keeps-three-athletes-on-the-world-stage-and-in-the-classroom/