Mentoring | Gritt

Mentoring connects top ski and bike athletes with positive kids to help their sporting journey.

We focus on youth progression - whether it’s exposure to the outdoors, starting a sport, or taking skills to the biggest stages in the world. Our aim is to smooth out kid's journeys and help the next generation succeed in not just their sport, but also wider athlete life.

2024 Mentoring Highlights

We've just wrapped up our 2024 pilot year, with the Gritt team learning a lot about the key elements of building a long-term mentoring program. A highlight was Sammie Maxwell's leadership and the positive impacts that had on her and mentee Maria Laurie - you can listen to Sammie's rundown of her 2024 mentoring below, and where she's taking it for 2025. We're excited to put what we learnt into practice for 2025, with new mentoring pairs to be announced soon.

Charlie Murray celebrating the NZ team winning Trophy of Nations

Who's involved?

These are the mentoring pairs for our pilot year, and the sports they're focusing on:

Jamesa Hampton - Joe Cookson | Freeride Skiing
Jess Hotter - Poppy Freeman & Georgia Chambers | Freeride Skiing
Craig Murray - Ruby Hewitt | Freeride Skiing
Ben Richards - Harry Rowden | Freeride Skiing
Sammie Maxwell - Maria Laurie | Mountain Bike XC
Charlie Murray - Sam Hewitt | Enduro Mountain Biking & Freeride Skiing

Meet the team

Mentor: Sammie Maxwell

Mentee: Maria Laurie

Two of the most exciting young cross-country stars are pairing up. The 2023 World champion Sammie has a wealth of knowledge to share and help Maria make the jump to elite level international racing.

Jess Hotter is mentoring Poppy Freeman and Georgia Chambers

Mentor: Jess Hotter

Mentees: Poppy Freeman and Georgia Chambers

Jess is New Zealand's first overall Freeride World Tour Champion, and is helping both Poppy and Georgia to follow their dreams and her lead.

Mentor: Craig Murray

Mentee: Ruby Hewitt

Craig and Ruby have a focus on freeride skiing. They're aiming to build on Ruby's talent and progression, while smoothing her way into the Freeride World Qualifiers

What are we working on?

Mental skills
Providing training resources in collaboration with Tātai Whetū Waitaha
Building an athlete portfolio
Travelling how-to
Intros and sponsorship connections
Working on barriers
Goal setting
Training tips

If you've got any questions, comments, or want to help support our mentoring program please get in touch!