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As Chef de Mission for the New Zealand Olympic Team, Dave Currie, believes he got where he is today thanks to seven years as the Chairman of the Otara Flea Market. This doesn’t exactly sound sports related, but Dave explains, “the market was going through a tough time and I was asked to help them out. It gave me the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people from different ethnic backgrounds and bring them together with one vision.” The market is now a household name around New Zealand, and so is Dave’s - but for other reasons, obviously.

Dave’s journey towards his Chef de Mission position started back in 1998 when he was a running partner to a blind marathon runner. He enjoyed his role so much he found himself wanting to do more, which led him to become Chairman of Paralympics New Zealand, a tenure that lasted 7 years. When he learnt that they were looking for someone to build a team and bring them together for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, Dave was more than happy to take on the challenge. He’s been involved as Chef de Mission for New Zealand at both the Commonwealth and Olympic Games ever since. 

Right now, Dave is busy gearing up for Beijing. His job, along with members of the athlete services team, is to create an inspirational, high performance environment, to enable the athletes to succeed and make New Zealanders proud. A pretty big task and he’s certainly the right man for the job. He is quick to point out that he has a fantastic support team around him who work very hard to provide a supportive and inspiring environment for both the athletes and coaches. “We have to work as a close-knit team and SUPPORT each other from start to finish,” said Dave.

“I just can’t wait to get there and experience the games in China,” says Dave. “It will be different in many ways to Athens - you can’t compare the spiritual and emotional environment that Athens had, being the ‘home’ of the games.  But I’m amazed at the extraordinary leap of faith that China has taken in opening their doors to the world. I am in awe at what they have achieved, the venue development and buildings are breathtaking.”

Another difference is that the athletes and coaches will be spread across five different venues. They are: Beijing (14 different sports); Qingdao (sailing); Qinhuangdao (women’s football); Shenyang (men’s football); and Hong Kong (equestrian). “We’ve got people all over the place, so we are working really hard to provide the right environment for everyone, no matter where they are,” says Dave.