NZ flag presented to young Olympic envoy | New Zealand Olympic Team

2 July 2012

Tayla Young, 13, has been presented with the New Zealand team flag to carry to the Olympic Games in London. Kereyn Smith, Secretary General of the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC), officially handed over the flag to Tayla at a special ceremony outside the Olympic Museum on Queens Wharf in Wellington on 29 June. Tayla, who won the ANZ Flag Envoy competition, will carry the New Zealand team flag to London and present it to the New Zealand team flag bearer at a dinner hosted by Governor-General of New Zealand, Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae, on 26 July. Taylas prize was announced at her school assembly at Rangitoto College on 28 June. One minute I was sitting there listening to Hamish Carter talk about winning an Olympic Gold and the next minute I was up on the stage with him, says the aspiring actress, model and sports-mad teenager. Im going to take my Mum and my Nana and Poppa.None of us have been to further than Australia. Its so exciting, she said. Taylas name was drawn from more than 16,000 entries around New Zealand. Customers from any of ANZ's businesses in New Zealand, including The National Bank, UDC, Direct Broking, OnePath, EFTPOS and Bonus Bonds, could nominate a child aged between eight and 16 years of age. ANZ is the official insurance partner of the New Zealand team for the London Olympics, and is sponsoring the NZOC for the next three-years. It is also individually sponsoring rowers Hamish Bond, Eric Murray and Emma Twigg, cyclist Natasha Hanson and Olympic gold medal winners Sarah Ulmer and Hamish Carter. Were so proud to be supporting the NZOC and all of the amazing athletes competing for New Zealand, says Kerri Thompson, Managing Director of Retail for ANZ. Also making an appearance at the ceremony was ANZs Olympic bus the bright blue double-decker bus which is visiting towns throughout the country, complete with past athletes and Olympians, sports equipment and technology to send messages to the NZ Olympic team. The Olympics isnt just about the athletes, says Mrs Thompson.Its about the whole country getting in behind them, cheering them on together. And were happy to be doing our bit to support this.