We aim to:

Welcome to the Executive Management Board.

Below are the members of the board tasked with establishing and growing Multisport NZ in the first year. Collectively they represents a wide variety of skills and considerable sporting experience.

Bill Godsall - President Multisport NZ



Bill’s extensive wealth of experience extends well beyond competing in eighteen adventure races and ten Speight’s Coast to Coast, he is also a Regional Coordinator for Sports. He is a very competitive athlete having won three Southern Traverses and the two Coast to Coasts in the veteran category.

With a background in mining as a project manager & NZ operations manager, Bill moved on to follow his sports passion working as Regional Co-Ordinator for Sports Central. His role involves working with schools, clubs and event organizers to get more people active and upskilling of sports coaches, instructors and teachers. He has also worked in Search and Rescue.

Contact: bgodsall@sportotago.co.nz

Steve Knowles – Vice President Multisport NZ

Steve took up Multisport back in 1997. Over the course of the next few years he went on to win several Multisport races including the Head to Head and eleven of his eighteen adventure racing starts. Most memorable were adventure races races in Amazon and glacier regions of Patagonia. In the 80’s Steve raced motorcycles winning a number of National championship and endurance races.

A professional project manager for 15 years he delivered large scale IT projects like the operational centre for the Southern Cross cable, New Zealand’s prime communication link to the world. Steve is founder of www.sportzhub.com and manages a multi media company.

Contact: steve@sportzhub.com

Kevin Osborne - Legal Advisor Multisport NZ



Kevin has raced extensively in New Zealand as well as stretching his legs internationally taking on the worlds richest adventure race the Primal Quest – USA. Renowned as a competitive classic (over 50) at the Speight’s Coast to Coast, he has also raced a number of Southern Traverses with his best performance challenging amongst the top three at the Dunedin Southern Traverse in 2003.

His professional career as a commercial solicitor includes a partnership at law firm Bate Hallett. He is also Co-Owner in Ruahine Kayaks.

Contact: kevin@batehallett.co.nz

Kristina Anglem – Committee member Multisport NZ



One of the most successful athletes in the sport, in six years Kristina accumulated two Multisport world titles winning the Speight’s Coast to Coast, along with the one off 2200km Mizone length of NZ race. In Kiwi adventure racing teams Seagate & Balance Vector she claimed many podium finishes at the world most prestigious races, topping off a very success career including the World Championships in 2005. One to always have sporting goals, Kristina set her sights on sprint kayaking climbing to 11th at the 2007 World Cup before being struck by injury which has put a hold on her sporting goals for a while.

Kristina completed her Physical Education degree in 1996 at Otago and Tertiary Teaching degree from Massey University in Wellington. Her ideal holiday is embarking on a 15,000km cycle tour from Singapore to Belgium, which she completed in 1997.
races wins.

Nathan Fa’avae – Committee member Multisport NZ



For five years Nathan Fa’avae captained all Kiwi teams Seagate and Balance Vector to many international adventure racing wins, upholding a long tradition of Kiwi’s dominating races worldwide. Over the course of his professional racing career, Nathan won three World Adventure Racing Champions and one World Multisport Championship.

Nathan’s life is the outdoors which extends to being a highly qualified outdoor instructor working for the likes of Outward Bound, a professional event promoter and qualified in traffic management.


Athletes Advisory Panel

Multisport NZ aims to continually improve multisport and adventure racing in New Zealand. To achieve this it is critical that strategic decisions made by the Board and Committee represent the needs and wants of the members, participants, supporters and event providers.
Part of the information gathering process, especially where elite level athletes are concerned, some decisions will be offered to the Athlete Advisory Panel for their comments or vote.
The 2008/2009 athlete advisory panel is:

Anna Berthelson


Anna has been competing in multisport events within New Zealand for the past six years. She has won numerous local events and came third in the One day Coast to Coast in 2006. In 2006 she started competing internationally with the kiwi adventure racing team www.orionhealth.com. They placed third in the 2007 World Adventure Racing Championships in Scotland and first in two World Series events, the XPD in Australia and the Turas in Ireland. She currently lives in Northland and works full time in Paua Aquaculture.

Emily Miagza


Emily has been involved in multisport in NZ for several years since arriving from Canada in 2004. She has participated in some overseas races, but her main focus remains with Coast-to-Coast (2-time winner) and other local events within New Zealand. She’s live on the west coast with her husband Mitch, and runs her own business “Em's Power Cookies & Bars."

Fleur Pawsey


Fleur has been involved in multisport for nine years, starting at the very back of the field as a recreational athlete and steadily working up to elite level with a breakthrough win at the Coast to Coast in 2007. While Fleur is a strong supporter of accessible and achievable local events, she is now getting a taste of international racing, competing in Australia's XPD adventure race in 2007 and China's Wulong Mountain Quest in 2008. Outside of multisport Fleur has recently returned to study after working as a government policy adviser.
The 2-time Wellington Multisport Champion won the Coast-Coast in 2007 and was second in 2008. She won the St James Ultramarathon in 2008.

Gordon Walker


Gordon began multisport from a background in cycling, kayaking and the outdoors. Beginning as a recreational athlete in teams events with a few mates he then took on races as an individual. He has set numerous course records in New Zealand and has a Coast-to-Coast victory to his credit. Gordon has participated in many of NZ’s great races and also races internationally as part of a team in Adventure Racing. He currently resides in Auckland with his fiancé and young daughter.

Richard Ussher


Richard has amassed an impressive resume of achievements, both as part of the former New Zealand team, Seagate / Balance Vector, and on an individual basis. World Adventure racing Champion in 2005 and 2006 along with wins in Primal Quest 2004, Balance Bar 24 hour series overall Champion 2004, Outdoor Quest 2003.
Richard has also won the Coast to Coast 3-times and has dominated the National scene in New Zealand. After a season with the Nike USA team in 2006 Richard formed his own AR team based out of New Zealand. Details for the team can be found at www.adventuresportnz.com His team became the first team to beat World Champions Nike in a major Adventure race since he was part of the Balance Vector team that won the world title in 2005 in the inaugural Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge in December 2007
Richard lives in Nelson, New Zealand with his wife Elina, which is on the Coast at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. It receives the most sunshine hours of any place in NZ and basks in a warm microclimate for the majority of the year – providing an ideal year round training base.



2008 Patron



Robin Judkins the founder of Multisport in the early eighties and Speight's Coast to Coast host to the World Multisport Championships. Now into it's 25th year the iconic event challenges all over the 243km race across the Southern Alps.


Multisport NZ seeks the support of a patron each year. Those interested please contact Bill Godsall: bgodsall@sportotago.co.nz