Athletics: Kiwi Quinn Gardiner-Hall dreams of race-walking success

Many of New Zealand's best young athletes will flock to Hamilton and Dunedin early next month for the annual Colgate Games.

One of the most talented performers last year was 12-year-old Quinn Gardiner-Hall, who dominated an event most consider a bit of a mystery.

After competing in events like the Kiawah Island and Antarctica half-marathons, Gardiner-Hall has taken on a new challenge by competing in race walking.

Walking is not the kind of sport Kiwi kids traditionally flock to, so Quinn did what all Gen Z people do and watched YouTube videos to learn more about the Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport.

Gardiner-Hall won the 1200m race walk at last year's Colgate Games in Hastings from just watching videos, but he was disqualified for too many violations in his next competition, which is when he went to get proper training.

He is now trained by New Zealand's own Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Alana Barber.

Alana Barber.
Alana Barber. Photo credit: Photosport

"I live just locally, and I heard about Quinn and other race walkers training for events, so I was keen to help out," she told Newshub.

"I really want to see the next generation of race walkers come through. I want to see that growth happen.

"Race walking is a real technical sport. You have to help them understand the rules.

"You've just got to hold them back a little bit and get them to focus on their technique, because that's what's going to help them in the long run."

Gardiner-Hall knows it will be a long walk to make it to the top, but the aspiration of potentially being an Olympic race-walking gold medallist helps drive him towards success.

His role model is Sir Edmund Hillary, as he was the first to reach the summit of Mt Everest. Gardiner-Hall wants to follow that lead and be the first New Zealander to achieve milestones in his life.

After talking the talk, it remains to be seen if he can walk the walk.

Newshub.