Our First Olympians
This article provides information on some of our earliest Olympians, with a particular focus on the four athletes who attended the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium.
About this resource
Series: School Journal Level 2 May 2020
Reading year level: 4
Topics: 1920, achievement, athlete, competition, Darcy Hadfield, George Davidson, gold medal, Harry Wilson, heritage, history, inspiration, medal, national team, New Zealand history, Olympic Games, Olympics, Summer Olympic Games, sport, teams, Ted Morgan, Violet Walrond, Yvette Williams
Our First Olympians
Words by Bill Nagelkerke
“Faster, higher, stronger ...” The Olympic Games have been a source of international interest and entertainment since the late nineteenth century.
It was the first year that Aotearoa New Zealand had sent an independent national team to the games, and despite facing additional challenges of distance and expense, all four athletes made the finals with one winning a bronze medal. The final paragraph of the article extols the benefits of aiming high and working hard to achieve a goal.
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More from this series
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School Journal Level 2 May 2020
Inside this School Journal are two articles (Monsters; Our First Olympians), one poem (Megabyte), one play (Let's Vote on It!), and one story (Kupe and the Giant Wheke).
1 of 5Monsters
This article describes a selection of mythical creatures and monsters from around the world.
2 of 5Let's Vote on It!
The author uses this light-hearted play to introduce ideas about voting, elections, and MMP.
3 of 5Megabyte
This humorous poem describes the poet’s pet monster and its dining habits.
4 of 5Kupe and the Giant Wheke
This traditional tale features in the oral traditions of many iwi.
5 of 5
