Meet Our Team – Tane Whitehead

Kia ora, my name is Tane Whitehead, and I’m proud
to be one of the new Kaiārahi for Why Ora. Born and
raised in Taranaki as one of eight siblings, I grew up
surrounded by whānau and community.

My schooling years were spent at Spotswood
College, where I had the privilege of serving as
Deputy Head Boy and First XV captain. Alongside
sport, I worked hard academically, earning Proxime
Accessit (2nd academically) and achieved top Māori
student for Te Kura Tuarua o Ngāmotu. This led to
me receiving the Māori Entrance Scholarship to
attend Ōtākau Whakaihu Waka (University of Otago).

In 2020, I moved to Dunedin to begin my tertiary
journey. Over four years, I completed a Bachelor of
Science majoring in Sport and Exercise Science with
a minor in Economics. I then stayed on for an
honours year, graduating with First Class Honours in
Sport, Exercise, and Health. My research focused on
the long-term benefits of Healthy Active Learning (a
government initiative) and how it impacts primary
school students’ physical activity outside of school
hours.

University life was full of opportunities. One of my
proudest achievements was starting the Taranaki
Hands-On at Otago Scholarship, which helps
Taranaki secondary school students attend the
Hands-On at Otago programme. The scholarship
removes financial barriers by covering costs like
registration, accommodation, and travel, ensuring
more Taranaki rangatahi can explore their potential.

Other highlights include earning the Canon and
Social Impact Studio Leadership Award, contributing
to the Kā Rikarika o Tāne Tuakana-Teina programme
through the Māori Centre, serving as Sub-Warden at
Studholme College, and leading as President of the
Sport and Exercise Science Executive.

Sport has always been a passion of mine, not just
playing but coaching. I’ve coached age-grade girls’
rugby and rugby league, and last year I was Assistant
Coach for the Niue U17 girls’ rugby league team at the
Pasifika Youth Cup. We made history as the first Niue
girls’ team to win a final – a moment I’ll never forget.

Outside of mahi, I co-host the Baskets of Knowledge podcast, where we share stories and wisdom from diverse voices. We’ve recorded 177 episodes so far!