When she was 22, Lisa Pankhurst went through a bit of a seachange, and it’s one that has landed her squarely in a job she reckons is pretty perfect for her. 

A competitive swimmer from the age of 7, with hopes of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics, she was forced to rethink her options when she narrowly missed out on an Olympic spot. 

Instead, she completed her studies in Sport and Exercise at SIT and moved into coaching. 

But a bout of adult chicken pox which left her very unwell again had her rethinking her options, and this time she headed overseas “to figure out what I really wanted to do, what my purpose was”. 

The answer was helping people to live their best lives. 

She doesn’t believe in telling people what to do, preferring instead to guide them to learn more about themselves. 

“If they are aware of themselves, they have dominion over their own lives.” 

It is a concept she believes fits well with her new role as Rangatahi Advisor at Active Southland.  

Her main role will be working with sports organisations to help support them to create better sporting experiences for teenagers, a cause particularly close to her heart. 

Naturally drawn to working with teenagers, learning what makes them tick, and what drives them, she is excited about the opportunities to make a difference, particularly at a time when outside influences may not be all that positive. 

“I really enjoy investigating with people to help them feel better about themselves.” 

Article added: Monday 24 January 2022