Death has taken him away like a thief in the night at age 33. Quinn was our Mareikura Canoe Club super hero. 

Introduced to Waka ama as a junior paddler, Quinn has become, over the years, a strong pillar of our club. For many years he has coached midget, intermediate teams and primary schools in the Tairawhiti region. He was instrumental in putting Waka ama primary school Nationals on the Nga kaihoe o Aotearoa's agenda. Quinn is an executive member of Mareikura Canoe Club and one of our regional representative. 

A proud father to his seven children of which five currently paddle and a rock to his partner Orohena Brightwell in  Waka ama, Quinn will be for ever missed by all.

Currently training Mareikura's men's team, this is where he was on Sunday afternoon, several hours prior to his passing. He never missed an opportunity to train new paddlers. Our Waka ama community is in shock. Our family is devastated, struck to the core.

We will miss him on the water and he will forever be in our hearts.

Ko te aroha ano he wai e pupuake ana he awa he mapuna mai ana i roto i te whatu manawa.