From Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, we have five athletes competing across artistic gymnastics, Taekwondo, and water polo. We also have a staff member, Harrison Lahman, who was chosen to be the Media and Communications Manager for the entire New Zealand cohort at the games. They’ll be joined by 79 other student athletes from New Zealand, who will represent our country across a range of other sports.
The World University Games are “where future Olympians are forged,” says Chef De mission, Evelyn Williamson. It’s true, the Games have been a springboard to international sporting success for many of NZ’s student athletes, including Eliza McCartney and former Te Herenga Waka student, Lewis Clareburt.
“International events like these are more than competitions—they are opportunities for cultural exchange, personal growth, and showcasing our university’s spirit on the global stage. We’re incredibly proud of our five student athletes and wish them the best of luck in Germany,” said Vice-Chancellor Nic Smith.
Keep an eye on the University Recreation team’s Instagram account, @unirec_wgtn, for info on how to tune in to support our athletes as we follow their journey.
Read on to get to know our five athletes for 2025.
Logan Curtis, Artistic Gymnastics
Bachelor of Biomedical Science
Logan has been competing since he was seven, with several international competitions already under his belt. Besides his own training, Logan spends his time coaching children and judging gymnastics competitions. “Gymnastics is a bit of an obsession for me," he admitted, “can you tell?”.
Logan’s biggest competition is himself—he’s always reaching to be a little better than he was last week. “I’m more interested in being good for its own sake; winning isn’t really the goal.” However, that doesn’t make competitions any less stressful for Logan. “I get real nervous,” he said, “and sometimes feel a bit sick.” He’s still figuring out how to deal with the pressure, but one thing helps—listening to chill music and walking around. “It makes me feel like the man.”
Pre-competition genre of choice: RnB.
Pre-competition song of choice: “Mercedes” by Brent Faiyas.
Alexi (Lexi) Evett, Taekwondo
Master of Psychology
“I wish more people knew Taekwondo isn’t just fighting,” Lexi said. “Poomsae (what we do) are more like dancing.” Poomsae are set series of movements, often called patterns, that combine offensive and defensive techniques. They’re the Victoria Taekwondo club’s specialty. “Another thing people don’t know about Taekwondo is that we don’t only use our legs, it’s not all kicking,” she paused, “... though it is about 90 percent kicking.”
Lexi only began Taekwondo in 2019 when she first came to Te Herenga Waka—she wanted to try something new and make some friends. She says she chose well, “The Victoria Taekwondo club is such a welcoming community who don’t just train together, they also make time for fun things, like going out for dinner.”
Beyond Taekwondo, Lexi volunteers in the Emergency Department at Hutt Hospital. “I’ve gotten very good at managing high-pressure environments—I quite enjoy that kind of atmosphere, actually. Before a competition, I channel my nervous energy into my training. Then as soon as I get on the mat, I’m so focused—everything just shuts off.”
Pre-competition genre of choice: K-pop.
Pre-competition song of choice: “Mantra” by JENNIE.
Abigail (Abby) Wheeler, Taekwondo
Bachelor of Music
Abby started doing Taekwondo when she was 11, “mostly because my mum wanted me to learn self-defense... but also to stop me playing so much Minecraft.” She’s stuck with it ever since because of how social it is, “I really love the people at the Vic Uni Taekwondo club”.
She’s also drawn to the philosophy of Taekwondo. “I like the principles it teaches you—courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indominable spirit—these are the core values we learn, and I often find myself applying them to other aspects of my life, like playing the viola.”
Philosophy is important for Taekwondo, but according to Abby, so are Snickers bars. She eats one before every competition, “I’ve tested it—if I have a Snickers bar, I win. If I don’t have one, I lose.”
Pre-competition genre of choice: K-pop.
Pre-competition song of choice: “Work” by Ateez.
Victoria Li, Taekwondo
Bachelor of Science, majoring in Chemistry and Statistics
When Victoria’s older brother was a student at Te Herenga Waka, he joined the Victoria Taekwondo club and loved it. So she joined too, at age 14. She's always had a strong drive to improve herself, and to reach for high standards. “The personal satisfaction that comes with progress is really what keeps me going,” she said.
However, one of the challenges any athlete faces is finding the motivation to show up and train every day—"some days, you just aren’t feeling it", says Victoria, “so I’ve come to admire discipline over motivation.” It’s discipline that helps her stay consistent on days when her motivation would rather just chill out with her cat.
Victoria’s motivation certainly doesn’t want to chill now—not when she’s got a plane to catch. This will be her first time in Europe. She’s most excited “to meet lots of people from all around the world,” and, once the competition is over, to explore Germany with Lexi and Abby.
Pre-competition genre of choice: K-pop.
Pre-competition song of choice: “HOME SWEET HOME” by G-Dragon ft. Taeyang & Daesung.
Campbell Hulbert, Water Polo
Bachelor of Commerce (Graduated 2023)
Campbell loves the competitive poolside atmosphere of water polo games, “I’m a very competitive person,” he laughed. He started playing when he was eight years old after watching his sister’s games. He was already a strong swimmer, which meant an easy transition to water polo. Despite this, swimming training has always been his least favourite part of the sport—“staring at a black line on the bottom of the pool isn’t all that fun.”
While our other four athletes will compete as individuals, Campbell will join the UTSNZ water polo team made up of players from other NZ universities. All the top NZ water polo athletes typically know each other from previous competitions, he said. “The Games in Germany will probably feel like a reunion.”
While Campbell doesn’t think of himself as a superstitious guy, before every game you’ll still find him tying his cap, untying it, then tying it again. “Just in case.”
Pre-competition genre of choice: Country.
Pre-competition song of choice: “American Nights” by Zach Bryan.