News & Updates

As we continue to celebrate National Volunteer Week we focus on the inspirational coaching work carried out at Takapuna Athletic and Harrier club by the husband and wife duo Walter and Nerida Gill.

Perhaps few families better encapsulate the words “throwing dynasty” than Walter and Nerida Gill.  

Inspirational coaches at Takapuna, the couple have guided a host of throwers at the club to achieve national and international honours led by their son, Jacko, a former world U18 and U20 shot champion and current 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist.

Their impact on the throws events has been seismic and yet, according to Walter, his throwing journey might never have begun had it not been for the threat of the cane at school.  

A former Takapuna Grammar School student Walter recalls: “Back then unless you competed at an event on school athletics day you would get a stroke of the cane. I’d never done anything sporting ever but by the age of 15 or so I knew what the cane felt like, so I chose what I thought would be easy, the shot put and the discus.”

Walter surprised himself by finishing second in both events and curious to push himself further he practised with a homemade shot put comprising a jam tin filled with lead and an earthenware pipe for a discus.

“One year later I secured the Auckland Secondary School title with an Auckland age group shot record,” Walter recalls. It is something I never would have known without the cane.”

Nerida, who also grew up on Auckland’s North Shore, started her athletics journey in slightly different circumstances. Dragged along to the Calliope Athletic and Harrier Club in Birkenhead because her brother was a promising runner, she discovered an ability to throw.

Co-existing on the New Zealand throws scene the pair met and became an item on a competitive tour to the UK in the mid-80s. The pair both went on to claim national senior titles, Walter snagging shot gold in 1987 and 1989 and Nerida claiming the New Zealand women’s discus crown in 1990.

The pair then stepped away from the sport for some time as their focused their efforts on raising daughter Ayla and son Jacko. However, it was through their kids when Nerida and Walter re-engaged with athletics as coaches at Takapuna Athletic and Harrier club.

“Ayla had done reasonably well at school sports in shot and discus and someone noticed from the Takapuna club,” explains Walter.

“They rang up and suggested we all join and we’ve been there ever since.

“We started coaching on club nights helping out those who needed our own help as well as our own kids.”

Nerida adds: “Selfishly I started helping Wal with coaching so I could spend more time with him otherwise I’d never see him with his work and coaching commitments, but it wasn’t long before I was enjoying it as much as he does.”

Happy to help throwers of all ages and standards, the Gills are perhaps best known, however, for guiding their son and daughter to big success at an age-group level. At the 2010 World U20 Championships in Moncton, Canada, Ayla finished sixth in the women’s hammer while at the tender age of 15 Jacko memorably surpassed sprint legend Usain Bolt as the youngest ever gold medallist at a World U20 Championships by claiming shot victory.

It was a hugely proud moment for Walter and Nerida, who two years later also steered Jacko to the defence of the World U20 title and who in 2018 also coached Maddi Wesche to the World U20 women’s shot title in Finland.

Yet besides their well know association with Jacko – whom today their jointly coach along with Australian-based Dale Stevenson – Walter says he loves coaching at many levels.

“We’ve got a girl in the group at the moment – Sina Maria Su’a – who has broken world age records at the age of 11. Watching her perform is exciting – it is like you can’t quite believe what you have seen. There are other nights when you don’t think you are making headway. But there are a lot of rewards when the athletes you coach wins titles.”

Jacko is certainly hugely appreciative of the efforts of mum and dad, who first introduced him to the sport down at the local park as a six-year-old.

“Early in my career it was amazing,” he says. “Probably in the middle of my career I went away from their advice, but now I’m grateful to be back with them (as part of the coaching set up). To listen to them and to grow with them.”

It is a thought reciprocated by mum, Nerida, who adds: “I often go to Jacko’s throws training, I love spending time with him. I’ve learned so much from Jacko and his other coaches through his career. We are really grateful for that. With Dale overseas for much of the time it is nice for Jacko to have that company.” 

Yet besides their work with the 2023 New Zealand men’s shot put champion – Walter and Nerida – have an exciting group of athletes which include the aforementioned Sina, leading teenage Para thrower Sionnan Murphy, New Zealand Secondary Schools shot champion Kate Hallie, her younger brother, Alex and a number of other athletes during the summer months.

Walter also offers advice to US-based former national U20 shot and discus champion Kaia Tupu-South. An athlete he is convinced will one day compete at the Olympic Games.  

Sina Maria Su’a remains a hugely exciting project for the Gills with Walter adding: “At the Western Zones she threw a world-age record for an 11-year-old in discus and did so in the pouring rain. She won the Auckland Secondary Schools Champs with 12.97m with the 3kg shot. She is an outstanding talent.”

In fact, after 17 years at the club, the throws scene has never been more buoyant at Takapuna Harriers.

“The next wave of talent is coming through breaking all the club records – and many of those past records were very impressive,” explains Walter.

With the Gill family at the helm chances are the talent will flourish for a long time to come – and for Walter coaching athletes to success is hugely satisfying.

“When the athletes get good enough to break a club or age-group record this gives me the same buzz as when Jacko was breaking all his records,” he says. “We have also coached many kids that will never be Auckland champions but the thrill you get as a coach when they reach a milestone is hugely heart-warming.”