In this article we catch up with the 2022 Blind Sport Emerging athlete winner Corran Hanning of Wellington and find out how his 2023 season went and what he is planning for 2024. Corran is a F12 shot & discus thrower.
You would have been pleased to have had a season uninterrupted by Covid how did the 2023 athletics season go for you?
Corran preparing to throw discus in competition. He wear’s a yellow and black wellington sleeveless top with number 674, and holds the discus at his neck with his other arm outstretched. Grandstand is in the background.
Corran- yes obviously we were all delighted to hopefully leave the various covid protocols and disruptions behind us. I was pleased with the way the 2023 season went for me.
I was selected in the New Zealand Secondary Schools athletics team at the end of 2022 which then compete at the Athletics NZ Classic series of meets over Jan/Feb 2023 which are the premier athletics meets outside of the National Championships. I managed to set a new para F12 National U20 shot put & discus records and of course it was an honour to compete in those events wearing a Black New Zealand singlet. I also managed to win the Athletics Wellington Open men shot put championship as well as the open U20 championship against all comers.
I was the para U20 Gold Medallist at the NZ national championships in Wellington in my specialist events of shot and discus and thanks to a scholarship I had won a couple of years earlier from ISPS Honda through the Halberg Foundation, which, because of covid, I had not been able to utilise, I was able to attend the Australian National Athletics Championships in Brisbane and experience my first international competition where I was the Gold Medallist in the para U20 Shot & discus. As a result of the above, Victoria University awarded me a University Blue for athletics.
So, what are your plans & objectives for 2024?
Corran –The Athletics NZ Classic series of meets starts in January leading up to the National Championships in mid-march in Wellington so I will be competing in the Open shot & discus events for the first time which means I am throwing the same 7.26kg shot as Tom Walsh. One of the advantages for visually impaired athletes in athletics is that you throw the exact same weights as able bodied so you can compete head to head with every athlete. I am hoping for some good performances which will qualify me to compete at the national championships in both the open & para events. My other key goal for 2024 is simply to get bigger!. I am the same height as Tom Walsh but currently 30 kg smaller. Tom has a tee shirt he wears often which is emblazoned with “Being Big isn’t easy !” and he is right. I struggle to put on weight but am pleased that I will start this season 10kg bigger that when I finished my secondary school career in 2022. Longer term I am building towards making the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics para Olympics team. Throwers traditionally are at their peak around 28 so I have time on my side.
What about any other international competitions?
Corran standing with arms behind his back with black sleeveless top with New Zealand and fern on the chest. Wearing number 1002 for competition
Corran – well that’s always a challenge – it will come as no surprise that’s there’s very little funding in Athletics let alone para athletics except for elite athletes so attending any international events such as the various international para athletics Grand Prix are very expensive as they are predominately in Europe. A further issue is the need to get an international classification to compete in these events which can normally only be done at those events so it will be expensive.
Outside of Athletics what else are you focusing on ?
Corran- I will be a 2nd year law student at Victoria University in Wellington and also doing media studies and enrolled at the NZ School of Music at Victoria University studding Jazz performance on the Trumpet for an Arts degree. I am also very keen on the playing blues guitar – I own six and also play the mandolin. I am also off to Outward bound in mid-February which should give me a good break from athletics.
Thanks Corran, we look forward to hearing what you do next, good luck with your studies, and enjoy Outward Bound!