Ingram makes a splash at AIMES awards

BY JODEAL CADACIO

North Shore swimmer Melissa Ingram took top honours at this year’s North Harbour Club AIMES Awards.

Ms Ingram won the supreme award for excellence during a gala dinner at the Bruce Mason Centre.

The 25-year-old back-stroke swimmer and long-standing member of the North Shore Swimming Club has won medals in numerous international competitions.

She received $30,000 including $20,000 for the supreme award and another $10,000 for the North Harbour Club, AUT and Millennium Institute of Sport and Health Award for Excellence.

A thrilled Ms Ingram says she will use the money to train overseas in her build-up to the Commonwealth Games in October 2010.

"With a big training year ahead of me, the timing of the award is incredibly good.

"The North Harbour Club has given me a really fantastic opportunity to pursue my swimming career to the best of my abilities and afford the extras required to perform at world-class level," Ms Ingram says.

This year’s winners represent the cream of the Shore’s young crop of achievers, says club president Peter Wall.

Former Rangitoto College student Anna-Louise Dillon-Herzog won the Excellence in the Arts Award and a $10,000 grant.

The 21-year-old, who is studying dance in New York, first received an AIMES award in 2002.

The Excellence in Information Technology was jointly awarded to computer scientist Daniel Playne and astronomer Yvette Perrott who each received $10,000.

This is the third consecutive award for Mr Playne while Ms Perrott’s talent was recognised in the 2008 Hayes Knight Emerging Talents Awards.

Musicians Grayson Masefield and Amalia Hall were joint recipients of the Excellence in Music Award, both being given $10,000 each.

A pianist, Mr Masefield is studying in France as a pupil of Professor Frederic Deschamps, one of the best accordion teachers in the world.

Ms Hall is studying with 32 of the world’s most talented violin students at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

The Excellence in Education Award went to qualified barrister and solicitor Adrienne Anderson who is looking at completing her masters in law at Harvard and Yale.

Shore community worker Cameron Calkoen received the North Shore City Council Service to the Community Award.

Cash grants

The potential of six young men and women from the North Shore was recognised as part of the North Harbour Club’s annual AIMES awards. 

The awards went to pianist Jason Bae, triathlete Sophie Corbridge, clarinet player Ellen Deverall, scientist Jenna Gallie, scholar Arkesh Patel and karate athlete Christopher Rahardja.

They each received an unconditional grant of $4000 for their exceptional achievement in one of the award categories – the arts; information technology, innovation and science; performing arts, music; education; sport and community service.

For the second year, the North Shore’s largest accounting firm, Hayes Knight, sponsored the Emerging Talent Awards.

“These young people are on their way to the top in their chosen field and we are thrilled to be helping them on their way with a cash grant,” North Harbour club president Peter Wall says.

- © Fairfax NZ News