Photo: The 2025 team with Jason Maraku (EVolocity NZ Chief Executive) and Henry Thomson beside him, wearing a hat.
Saint Thomas of Canterbury College (STC) in Christchurch has a long track record of participation and success in EVolocity.
This year, they won the Show Stopper Award for their open class bike, “Henry the Hammerhead”.
People marvelled at the bike’s design… chicken wire and paper mâché, and the ‘Jaws’ theme that blared from speakers inside the shark.
This bike was named in honour of STC old boy Henry Thomson. Henry was in the STC EVO team for 7 years and inspired his peers, trained his little brothers and advised the crews with his flair for electronics. Henry is a legend. Henry gained so much from EVolocity: teamwork, resilience, problem solving under pressure, friendship, perseverance and motivation- just to name a handful. EVolocity helped make school relevant to Henry, especially as a junior when everything else seemed such a struggle.
In 2024, Henry was diagnosed with an inherited eye condition that is damaging his retinas, causing progressive and severe vision loss in both eyes.
EVolocity is great when the hard work ends in pride in team’s work, recognition and prizes, but we think the biggest rewards are from the learning and growth that happens when it doesn’t go quite right, and that hard work and perseverance get results in the end.
Henry’s mum, Penny, personally thinks that overcoming the EVolocity obstacles has helped shape Henry’s positive outlook with his current vision loss and the obstacles created.
The 2025 EVO crew from STC are proud to be continuing Henry’s legacy. Last week, we had parents, grandparents, senior leaders from the College and old boys down at the racetrack supporting the STC team.
Photographer (except the group shot above), Mark Robotham @Photomark.
