Bike racers asked to plant seeds in memory

The tragic death of mountainbiker James Kennedy in last year's Moa Hunt race will see new life planted in Marlborough as part of a gesture of remembrance from his grieving partner.

Mr Kennedy died just 8 kilometres from the finish line after coming off his bike while riding in the annual Moa Hunt in the Kekerengu Valley a year ago.

At tomorrow's Moa Hunt Race, which will be dedicated to Mr Kennedy, participants will be given kowhai seeds by his partner, Nadra Zarifeh, in memory of Mr Kennedy.

Ms Zarifeh collected over 3500 kowhai seeds in the Kekerengu Valley, helped by her "kowhai queens", friends Annelies and Athalie.

The packets of seeds will be given out in race packs to participants in tomorrow's race and Ms Zarifeh hopes they will be planted around Marlborough. Mr Kennedy, 40, was an IT consultant for Indevin Wines.

The pair had been together four months when Mr Kennedy died.

They had met at Rainbow Skifield and Ms Zarifeh, who lives in Nelson, was planning to move to Blenheim to be with him.

Camping, skiing, cycling and fishing were favourite activities together.

"He was a really special guy. We were on the same wavelength.

"Life can be quite short so you've got to make the most of it, and you've got to be safe."

After Mr Kennedy's death Ms Zarifeh spent the winter at Banks Peninsula helping plant kowhai as a volunteer and was inspired to do something closer to home, so after talking with friends in the Kekerengu Valley, she began collecting the seeds.

"This was good therapy for healing my pain. At the same time I wrote a poem in his memory," she said. Her initial plan was to give the seeds to family and friends until a friend of Mr Kennedy suggested all race entrants should receive a packet of the kowhai seeds, too.

Ms Zarifeh's hope is for entrants to plant the kowhai seeds around Marlborough and on their properties so that one day the region will be covered with her favourite type of tree, and to help the environment.

Ms Zarifeh said gardening, helping with the kowhai plants, and the support of her family and friends help her cope with Mr Kennedy's death.

Moa Hunt organising spokesman Pete Halligan, from Top of the South Events, said when he was approached about the kowhai seeds, it was a "wonderful tribute to James".

The race would be dedicated to Mr Kennedy and there would be a minute's silence in his honour before the start, he said.

- The Marlborough Express