Waves 2022 is the 60th National Aquatics Conference. To celebrate this anniversary, we've asked some of our past delegates what they’ve loved best about the past sixty years!

Tracey Prine-Puketapu – General Manager Operations, Recreation Aotearoa

Q. When and where did you start in Aquatics?

A. In 1999 at Naenae Pool.

Q. When did you attend your first aquatics conference?

A. My first Waves conference was JAWS in Taupo 2003.

Q. Most influential conference speaker/presentation?

A.  I have two, the first was from the first JAWS that Iran and Boss getting up and opening the conference in Māori, I felt proud to work for an organisation with a leader that was confident to speak in Te Reo. My second was Gary Johnson, sharing his story from when he was a lifeguard and a young boy drowned and the work that he has done since that day to give lifeguards the tools to supervise the pool with the aim of preventing further drownings.

Q. Most memorable aquatics conference moment?

A.  It was in Nelson, my first JAWS that I organised and ran,having a delegate come up to me at the end of the last day, giving me a huge hug and telling me thatit was the best aquatic conference they had been to in years. They shared that they felt inspired togo back to their facility and make some changes that would benefit both their team and the community because of some of the speakers.