Dancing, Swimming and Representing Manawatū

Oscar Hansen-Wall and Lenny Hansen-Wall took their passion for dance to the world stage in July 2026, travelling to Arizona with their dance group, ‘Nova’, to compete in the World Hip Hop Dance Championship. The group of 23 dancers, aged 11 to 17, qualified for the international championships in April after placing third in a national competition. Following a range of fundraising initiatives and support from Council’s Representative Fund, Lenny and Oscar made the journey to the United States alongside their teammates on 22 July 2026. Despite Arizona’s 40 degree temperatures and long days of training, ‘Nova’ achieved an impressive result, reaching the semifinals and placing 16th out of 38 teams from around the world. Performing in front of an audience of more than 900 people, the experience gave Oscar and Lenny the chance to develop their dancing skills, build new connections and grow in confidence. Looking ahead, Oscar dreams of joining a prestigious dance group in Canada, while Lenny wants to continue developing as a dancer and encourage more young men to get involved.

Feilding Agricultural High School (FAHS) student Kaylee Miller was selected to represent Manawatū District at the New Zealand Secondary School Swimming Championships in Auckland in July - August 2026. Supported by MDC’s Representative Fund, Kaylee competed over four days alongside more than 800 swimmers representing over 175 schools. It was Kaylee’s first time competing at the event and the first time FAHS had sent a group to the championships, providing a valuable opportunity for growth and development. The event proved a great success, with Kaylee achieving two new personal bests and two qualifying times for the New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships in September. Kaylee shared her gratitude for Council’s support and pride in competing against talented swimmers, an experience that helped build her confidence and inspired her to continue improving, with aspirations to represent the district and New Zealand at events in the future.

Oscar, Lenny and Kaylee’s presentations were warmly received by Council, with Mayor Michael Ford describing it as a “pleasure to help in a small way”, a sentiment echoed by Elected Members around the table.

Photo descriptions: (L) Oscar and Lenny Hansen Wall standing with the coach of 'Nova', Myah Miranda. (R) Team 'Nova'.

Photo descriptions: (L) Kaylee Miller preparing to dive (in the middle). (R) Kaylee Miller (on the left) with another competitor from Feilding High School.