A Tauranga homeschooled student has been stripped of a medal for the second year in a row in a moment she described as “really awkward”.

Amelia Twiss, 13, competed in the North Island Secondary School Mountain Bike Championships in Tauranga and was one of two riders who placed, yet did not receive medals.

The reason: because she is homeschooled.

She is a member of the Tauranga Mountain Bike Club, recently taking away the club’s spirit award for her dedication to riding.

Amelia told the Bay of Plenty Times how she felt in the moment she was supposed to stand up on the podium with her silver medal.

“It’s just really awkward for me and everyone else,” Amelia said.

“My friend last year, she came third, and I was second, but she got my silver medal and was bumped up to my spot.”

She said she went into competing this year knowing she would not be able to receive a medal.

“It doesn’t impact how I ride, I go to the events because I love the vibe of being out there, but it still is really disappointing.”

Toni Twiss, Amelia’s mother, said there was no valid reason to exclude a group of children from competing with their peers.

“It’s this weird thing that happens at the end of the race, and when you’re 13 years old, it’s a pretty massive thing to go through.

“You’re singled out in a crowd of a couple hundred people watching and what should be a celebration is, instead, this awkward thing.”Amelia is a member of the Tauranga Mountain Bike Club and said having her medal given to someone else was really awkward. Photo / NCP Images

Twiss said other riders were trying to give away their medals.

“It speaks for itself how the kids are feeling about this, they feel uncomfortable that someone else is not getting the medal.

“While it’s not all about winning and the medal, it’s about what it’s doing to the community and other athletes,” she said.

The rules and regulations

School Sport New Zealand co-ordinates, promotes and protects secondary school sport for all students.

Eligibility regulations were introduced in 2007 for the events they sanction and were reviewed in February of this year.

Regulation 4 stated for individual sports, where event organisers wished to do so, homeschooled students who were members of the Home Educators School Sport Association could participate in a School Sport New Zealand-sanctioned event.

School Sport New Zealand chief executive Michael Summerell said homeschooled students were eligible to participate in more than 140 events on their sanctioned calendar.

“Alongside community sport offerings, homeschooled students have a range of ways to participate and be recognised in sport.”

He said regional offices offered tournaments and weekly opportunities for homeschooled students throughout the academic year.

“Regional offices set their own eligibility criteria for their events, but do look to align with each other and School Sport New Zealand on some policies.”

School Sport New Zealand told the Bay of Plenty Times in 2024 their regulations aimed to create a level playing field by preventing super-teams forming with imported talent and letting students represent their school “at premier levels without being displaced by short-term, imported players”.

Sport Bay of Plenty sanctions school sports in Tauranga, and a spokesperson said they enabled homeschooled students with Ministry of Education approval to participate in events.

Sport Bay of Plenty's terms of involvement state that home-schooled students are not eligible for medal placings. Photo / Google

The organisation’s terms of involvement stated homeschooled students were not eligible for medal placings, however, delivery partners might recognise a performance with separate awards.

“These rules aim to ensure a fair and consistent environment for all participants,” the spokesperson said.

“Sport Bay of Plenty remains committed to working with families, schools, and partners to ensure all young people have meaningful sporting opportunities.”

Mountain Bike Tauranga was the delivery partner for the North Island Secondary School MTB Championships, which Amelia participated in.

Chris Bell, club president, said their organised events did not exclude or look at what schools participants attended, and the rules around medals/placings needed a review.

“It is awkward to apply School Sports New Zealand rules that have consequences for our club members,” he said.

“An internal review will be occurring to see if we can do more to support our members.”

Advocating for home-educated student sport

Home Educators Students Sports Association (HESSA) is the national body set up in 2023 to represent the rights of home-educated domestic students to compete in sports.

According to Education Counts, there were 10,757 homeschooled students as of July 2024.

HESSA co-chair Mel Ewart said the problem began at secondary age when control of student sport and competitions moved from clubs to societies governed by school principals.

Despite not receiving her medals, Amelia Twiss was recognised by the Tauranga Mountain Bike Club and awarded the club's Spirit Award. Photo / Supplied

“The students haven’t changed, the only thing that has changed is the adults who decide who is eligible to compete in the student sport.

“This is not student-centred sport.”

Ewart said there were few homeschool students who experienced school-sanctioned events.

“HESSA asserts that every Kiwi student has the right to compete in student sports, and we reiterate that participation without the right to compete is not inclusion.”

She told the Bay of Plenty Times the current regulations did not serve the well-being and aspirations for the futures of all domestic students.

“Sports participation without the ability to compete is not an inclusive sport.”