Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health - Otago Polytechnic

14/10/2026

Brendon Timmins, Head of School, Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health at Otago Polytechnic, recently competed at the 2026 Waka Ama Long Distance Nationals, held at Orewa Beach from 1–4 October.

Brendon secured an impressive silver medal🥈 in the 16 km Senior Masters W2 aka Crackers & 🧀 Cheese race, finishing just 15 seconds behind the winners. He also competed in the demanding 24 km Senior Masters W6 race, where the crew VO2 Dolphins placed 7th, finishing seven minutes behind the winning crew.

These results reflect a strong performance across two long-distance events at the national championships.
Post Grad in Performance Analysis - Otago Polytechnic

23/09/2026

The ancient Indian game of "Kabaddi"🤼‍♀️ has taken hold here at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health. Four of our second-year learners in the Bachelor of Applied Science programme (Muskan Budhathoki, Harpreet Kaur, Sudha Khanal, and Nancy Vohra) have started a Kabaddi club and have been steadily working with other students interested in learning the game. Their enthusiasm🤩 and knowledge has been consistent over the 8-week programme which has resulted in increased participation (including the University of Otago Red-Bull team jumping in to play a round!).

While the coaching and delivery of the game is meeting requirements for two courses - its also meeting the needs of many international students who battle homesickness and low-activity levels after moving to Aotearoa for tertiary study.

Additionally, 2026 marks the centenary of bilateral sporting and cultural relationships between India 🇮🇳 and New Zealand. This milestone will be celebrated in Dunedin on November 1
of Otago Red-Bull team Polytechnic

18/09/2026

Celebrating Te Wiki o te reo Maori II Maori language week 2026

Megan Gibbs, graduate of the Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Science in Physical Conditioning, and Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Otago Volts.

He pai ake te hanga i ia rā
Better is built every day.

&C

11/09/2026

🏉 Good luck to our Otago representatives this weekend! 💙💛

We love seeing our ākonga out there doing what they love, and this weekend we’re giving a special shout-out to some of our students who have been selected to represent Otago on the rugby field!

A huge congratulations to:

🏉 Olivia Gill – Otago Spirit
Bachelor of Applied Science

🏉 Kyra Fowler – Otago Māori Wāhine
New Zealand Certificate in Exercise (Level 4)

🏉 Taiaroa McDonald – Otago Under 18 Boys
New Zealand Certificate in Exercise (Level 4)

🏉 Seddah McGregor & Brooklyn Carey – Otago Under 18 Girls
OSTC Sport, Exercise & Health (Level 3)

🏉 Coby Booth – Otago Under 17 Boys
OSTC Sport, Exercise & Health (Level 3)

We know there are plenty of our students doing awesome things across rugby and many other sports, and we’re proud of all the mahi, commitment and passion our ākonga bring to their sporting pursuits alongside their studies.

For this weekend, it’s a big GO WELL! to our rugby representatives taking the field in the blue and gold. We’re proud of you and will be cheering you on! 💙💛

If we’ve missed any other sporting stars from this weekend’s line-ups, give them a shout-out in the comments so we can celebrate them too! 👏

17/08/2026

Community project 2 ākonga contributing to the Silverstream Beautification Project for the 4th year in a row. The weather fairies were generous last Friday with sunshine and warmth, while more than 200 plants🌱 were installed along the Silverstream walkway in Mosgiel.

Huge thank👏s to Peat for the forward thinking and organising of this project - a true community effort for generations of benefit.

06/08/2026

Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health kaimahi Brendon Timmins, Codi Ramsey, and ākonga Andrew Todd, practise what they preach, taking part in Sport Otago's Tri Challenge last week

08/07/2026

Good luck to ISEH learner Jemimah Mcilroy. We're right behind you as you take on this tough (and very chilly) challenge!

Swimming the length of Lake Wakatipu in the middle of winter is just part of the training schedule for a Dunedin teenager. Otago Polytechnic sport...

15/06/2026

Still undecided on your course of study?? Join Brendon Timmins from 6 PM as he unpacks some of our Programmes and answers all your need to know questions during our Get Study Ready event this Thursday...

Get ready to start with us in Semester 2! 🤩

Whether you’re still trying to decide what to study, or you’ve already applied for your chosen programme, this event will help you take your next step.

Find out what it’s like to be an OP student, the different support services we offer and what to expect in each of our Semester 2 programmes.

PLUS, register for the event and go in the draw to win some prizes, including Prezzi cards and merch! 🤑

Find out more and register on our website: https://www.op.ac.nz/explore/events-and-important-dates/events/get-study-ready

26/05/2026

Congratulations to Omea Fitzgerald, NZ Diploma in Wellness and Relaxation Massage student, on being part of the New Zealand Junior Women's Handball team that has just won the inaugural Trans-Tasman Junior Women's Cup. Great work, Omea! This is a huge achievement!

Congratulations to the NZ Junior Women’s team for winning the inaugural Trans-Tasman Junior Women’s Cup.

20/05/2026

Huge congratulations to Tessa Nicol, 2023 Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health Bachelor of Applied Science alumna, on becoming the first female in Oceania to complete the OFC/NZF Goalkeeper B licence. Ka rawe, Tessa, we are so proud of you!

Tessa Nicol has become the first ever female in Oceania to complete the OFC/NZF Goalkeeper B Licence 👏

Tessa is a familiar face in football in New Zealand, being a former New Zealand U-17 and U-20 Women’s Goalkeeper Coach.

"My hope is to see more women over the next few years come through the advanced goalkeeping development pathway and filtering into our academies, professional clubs, and national pathways."

The OFC/NZF Goalkeeper B Licence is designed for coaches working with senior and older youth goalkeepers. It aims to challenge and support aspiring GK coaches with the tools and knowledge needed to better support their players.

To find out more about our coaching pathway, head to https://ow.ly/YWJB50Z0ViQ