Bianca is a Halberg Finalist

Sunday, 7 February 2010

St Cuthbert’s College Year 13 student Bianca Barbarich-Bacher was a finalist at last Thursday’s prestigious Halberg Awards.
The awards, organised each year by the Halberg Trust, salute outstanding sporting achievement by New Zealanders at home and overseas over the previous year.
Bianca was shortlisted in the New Zealand Sports Team of The Year category because of her success at the 420 Women’s World Sailing Championships in Italy last year, where at the age of 16 she became Under-19 champion as well as World Champion.
Bianca, who is 17 and lives with her parents in St Heliers, joked, “I am quite sure I would have been one of the only people going to school the day after the Halberg awards!”
She and team-mate Alexandra Maloney were edged out in the team category by World Champion rowers Eric Murray and Hamish Bond.
Bianca hopes to compete in the 2012 Olympics and received encouragement from 1960 Olympian Sir Murray Halberg. “Sir Murray said to me, ‘We’re so many generations apart and you’re so young,’” said Bianca, “’but you’ve had a fantastic beginning to your career and make sure you keep striving.’”