Kristy Havill, a New Zealand representative clay target shooter, is in Russia this year because of the amount of time she gives to volunteering. She was selected as New Zealand’s sole University student representative to the Academy in Kazan, Russia.
FISU have selected 12 students from the Academy who outperformed their peers to work at its events and she is among the eight who will join its staff at the Universiades next year.
The Universiade is an international multi-sport event, organized by FISU. Winter Universiade is in Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation, between 2–12 March 2019 and the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy between 3-14 July.
The Volunteer Leader’s Academy provides professional training for young leaders in the volunteer movement, targeting students around the world that promote sport and event volunteering in their university and region. It provides practical training on topics such as recruiting volunteers, developing leadership skills and organising volunteer programmes.
Kristy said in her blog on the University and Tertiary Sport New Zealand website about the trip, that the Academy education programme had been extensive and challenging, with a range of speakers from FISU, Education First and the Serbian Olympic Committee – just to name a few.
“It has been an intriguing experience to learn about how national university sport federations operate in other countries.
“There have been some very heated discussions as a by-product of the learnings and opinions that are shared during the presentation.”
She hoped to bring some initiatives home that "could nullify some of the issues that are present in other countries".
Her trip also included a trip to Kazan Arena to watch Australia play France in the first Group C fixture of FIFA World Cup 2018.
Kristy is a team leader and coach for the Forward Foundation, which aims to increase participation in girls’, sport, president of the Lincoln University Recreation Society – a student-run club that encourages work experience opportunities, and is on the Metro Sports Facility Management and Operations Advisory Group.
She has coached and umpired since she was a 14-year-old student at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, in touch rugby, volleyball, netball and cricket. She plays premier women’s cricket for Lancaster Park and is also giving back as an assistant coach of the girls’ team there.
FISU is the international university sports federation.