Amelia Twiss: 13-year old mountain biker opens up about being refused medal because she was home-schooled

A 13-year old mountain biker is asking for Government intervention over being denied a medal because she was home-schooled.

Amelia Twiss came third at the North Island school champs, but was bumped to fourth because of a rule requiring contestants to attend a school.

She is now cycling more than 500km to the Beehive - from Cambridge's NZ cycling HQ - to present her petition.

She says the exclusion seems based on the idea being home-schooled gives more time for training.

She agrees it doesn't seem fair.

"I don't train, I just ride my bike."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now there's a campaign to change the rules about homeschooled
kids competing in competition, as it turns out that kids
who are homeschooled are allowed to participate at inter school competitions,
but if they place first, second, or third, they're not
allowed to receive their medal. Now, thirteen year old Amelia
Twist is a mountain biker who has denied a third
place medal recently, and she's with us. Now, Hey, Amelia,

(00:21):
Hi Amelia, this doesn't seem fair to me. Does it
seem fair to you?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
No?

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Why are they denying you the medal? What's the story?

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, they think that we have because we're homeschooled.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
And when your homeschooled, is it because you've got too
much time? Have you?

Speaker 2 (00:42):
That's what they say to be able to.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Train, So it basically gives you an unfair advantage over
the kids who are sitting in classrooms.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
That's what they say.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, how much do you train every single day?

Speaker 2 (00:54):
I don't train, I just ride my bike.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
And would you ride your bike every day, Amelia?

Speaker 2 (01:00):
No, not even close.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
How often would you ride your bike.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Once or twice a week?

Speaker 1 (01:07):
And how often? How long are you riding? For?

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Two? Three? Hours.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Okay, So you're going to take You've got a petition,
have you, that's been signed by a bunch of people
to change the rules.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:20):
How many people have signed it.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
To almost two thousand and five hundred.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Okay, and you're riding to Parliament with this petition.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah. I'm riding from Grassroots Trust, Bellingram and Cambridge to
the steps of Parliament and Wellington.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Made are you going to be riding on the road.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
We're doing a mix of backroads and mountain bike trails.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
You got your mum or dad with you? Ah?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, they'll be supporting us and riding sections with us.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Oh, thank goodness. You can't be riding out there by yourself. Well,
don't tell the people about this. Once you've ridden all
the way down to Wellington, you'll be fantastic at the bike,
won't you.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Alright, best of luck. I hope you change the rules
because this is ridiculous. Amelia, Thanks very much, Amelia Twists
Mountain Biker. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen
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