Cameron with Jordan

Jordan is the 'baby' of the NZ team at age 16. He won a gold medal on the first day of the champs.

Cameron wins bronze!

Thank goodness! Cameron has won a bronze medal at the beach wrestling yesterday! He had 3 matches and is very happy about his performance as he can add it to his collection of NZ swimming medals and NZ jujitsu medals.
Almost all the competitors have left Samoa as the competition had finished.
I tried to get an earlier flight back today, but couldn't, as it is Sunday and almost everything in Apia is closed. Samoans go to church on Sunday and then have a big meal with their family, so Apia is like a ghost town.
Cameron has gone site seeing with the other remaining Kiwis.
It's so hot here - I sweat like crazy just sitting in the shade! Everyone agrees that even though it is very hot, it's better than Auckland weather as it is a dry heat and not humid.
I interviewed the coach from Pilau, Elgin. He has this impressive brace on his shoulder, but he can still climb coconut trees one armed!
I visited Robert Loius Stevenson's home 'Vailema' yesterday, it's beautiful, and the Baha'i temple as well.
I'm going to find a swimming pool.
Tofa Soifua

Day 2 Wrestling finished and 20 medals for NZ!

Talofa Room 11,

Yesterday was a busy day with our team winning 20 medals - have a look at the blog for the tally.

And the only girl in the NZ Wrestling team, Tayla Ford from Christchurch was awarded the top female wrestler of the championship - cool, huh!
This morning, most of the competitiors went by traditional Samoan bus to a beautiful island for beach wrestling and lunch at a luxury resort (nice!) that was destroyed in the tsunami. The NZ manager was supposed to wait for me, but he wanted to go and join them as soon as he got his rental car, so I'm hanging off the net and chatting with you.

The championship is a knock-out competition, so poor Cameron was up against the best male wrestler in the whole champs, an Australian named Blake, in his first bout! So of course, he lost, but he was very pleased that he lasted 50 seconds in yesterday's match.

And I'm really pleased that he didn't break Cameron's collarbone, like Blake did to another Aussie when they were competing for gold on day 1!

Everyone you meet here in Samoa is very upset about the earthquake in Christchurch and at the beginning and end of the wrestling, the head of Samoan Wrestling offered prayers and thoughts to Christchurch and New Zealand. I'm trying not to think about it - it's too upsetting!

I'm going to go and see if I can get to the beach somehow and join the others.

Tofa soifua!

Repercharge

Here is Cameron in another match. He didn't win but this is his first time competing at international level for New Zealand, and he was SO nervous before his first bout, that he almost threw up! This time he is wearing red.

Talofa Room 11 from Samoa!

Talofa Room 11!

It's a very warm and sunny morning here in Apia. The NZ Wrestling team are at the Sports venue competing in freestyle wrestling today, while I update their blog - have a look.

Here is a photo of my boy Cameron, he is in the blue. He is wrestling with the Australian who went on to win gold and also break the collarbone of the NZ'er who was in the final against him - it was very upsetting as the whole stadium heard his bone break!

Aidan's writing

Aidan likes writing about Lola, because there is lots about Lola tht you can write about.
The writing techniques that we use help us to write more and better stuff.
He thinks that writing is easier now than what it was. Aidan used to be slow at writing and he didn't get it right.

Maddy wins Gold!

Maddy won gold this weekend at the Weetbix Tryathlon! Maddy competed in a team with her brother, Joshua and sister, Dani. Dani swam first, and Joshua biked second, and Maddy ran all the way to the finish line. After she finished, Maddy felt proud and tired, and she was given her gold medal when she crossed the finishing line. Maddy said that the Weetbix Tryathlon was hard and she had to wait alot because people were put into groups with different coloured caps. If Maddy does it again, she will do it on her own and not do it in a team, because it will be more of a challenge for her. Go Maddy!