NZ athletes to honour Everest heroes   15 Jul 2010

ATHLETICS: Kiwi athletes competing in India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games will take inspiration from the memory of two great mountaineering heroes - New Zealand’s Sir Edmund Hillary and his Nepalese companion Tenzing Norgay.

The NZ Commonwealth Games team will wear a unique team identifier that has been conceived as a tribute to the legacy of the mountaineers, who conquered Mt Everest in 1953 and remained good friends throughout their lives.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) says the team identifier will include the number ‘29028’ - which represents the imperial height of Mount Everest - and the names Hillary and Tenzing.

The number will remind New Zealand athletes of the grit, determination and resolute character that saw Hillary and Tenzing mark their names in history.

Watershed team mark
The ‘29028’ mark was developed in conjunction with the Hillary and Norgay families, and both families are delighted with the tribute to their famous parents.

NZOC Delhi chef de mission Dave Currie says the committee is calling for all Kiwis to get behind the New Zealand team during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

"Sir Ed went from being a humble bee keeper to standing on the roof of the world. It’s an incredible story and one that will inspire our athletes," Currie said.

"Our athletes strive for the qualities that made Sir Ed and Tenzing great and we’ll be asking them to draw on those characteristics in Delhi this October."

The BBC report on 29 May, 1953 - the date when Sir Ed and Tenzing reached the top of Mount Everest said: "Hillary and Tenzing conquer Everest. Mr Hillary described the peak, which is 29028 feet above sea level, as ‘a symmetrical, beautiful snow cone summit’ ".

Families honoured
Hillary’s son Peter, who is himself a mountaineer and successfully climbed Mount Everest with his famous father in 1990, said the late Sir Ed would have been happy but slightly embarrassed by the honour.

"In true Ed fashion he would have asked ‘isn’t there someone more deserving, more athletic’?"

Tenzing’s son, Jamling Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, is also thrilled at the honour, but a little surprised at the same time.

"To find my dad’s name in the logo has surprised me. Sir Edmund Hillary was a national hero for New Zealand but they decided to pay tribute to the spirit of the team and we are extremely thrilled," Jamling told a New Zealand news agency.

"My father visited New Zealand many times and even today the two families remain great friends," Jamling said.

Tenzing Norgay passed away in 1986 and Sir Ed, who was once New Zealand’s High Commissioner in New Delhi, died in 2008 at the age of 88.

Queen’s Baton Relay
The 29028 campaign was announced this morning (15.07.2010) at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Auckland, where the Queen's Baton Relay began its New Zealand leg.

The Queen's Baton will travel around schools in the South Auckland region for two days before continuing its 190,000 journey from Buckingham Palace in London to the city of Delhi, India.

Background: Sir Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Hillary was born in in 1919, and died in 2008. He spent most of his life in Auckland.

During his lifetime, Sir Ed created a strong legacy for New Zealanders, and was one of the very first Kiwis to draw attention to the country on the world stage.

Hillary is listed as one of Time magazine’s ‘100 most influential people of the 20th century’.

Sir Ed became interested in mountaineering at secondary school and completed his first major climb - summiting Mount Ollivier, near Aoraki - Mt Cook in the Southern Alps, in 1939.

He became a beekeeper as the occupation allowed him to pursue mountain climbing in winter. Later in life, after making history with his famous ascent of Mount Everest, Hillary remembered his humble beekeeping roots with a golden sculpture in the shape of a honeycomb for his New Zealand garden.

He is greatly honoured in New Zealand, where the Kiwi $5 bill carries his image.

Sir Edmund Hillary also received many public accolades including being appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and a member of the Order of New Zealand. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan - the second-highest civilian award in India, and the Polar Medal for his part in the Trans-Atlantic expedition.

Source: TNZ

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