Prime Minister’s Scholarship intern shares experience

Working with schools is the common denominator for Olympic kayaker Max Brown who has swapped his 12-year role as a school music teacher for an internship in the schools, sport and not-for-profit sector working for Olympic rower, Rob Waddell, at his consultancy Waddell & Associates. 

For Max, music, along with sport, has been his long term passion. While teaching has been where much of his music career has been focussed, he, along with Olympic cyclist Ellesse Andrews, is also the composer and musician behind the New Zealand Team’s 2024 song, ‘Ain’t Just Dreamin’.

Moving on from Paris 2024, Max is taking time out from his competitive kayaking career and has taken up a 12-month PM’s Scholarship internship with Rob Waddell, a role he says is exciting, varied and diverse but which shares an interesting correlation with teaching by delivering activities into schools that will make a real difference.

“The work I’m doing with Rob ranges from connecting not-for-profits and schools with businesses. On the schools front it’s a lot about sports, helping remove some of the barriers to entry for kids.

“The support we are able to facilitate includes funding anything from helping kids with flights and accommodation so they can get to sports tournament week or helping buy shoes and other sports equipment. In other words, going some way to provide kids with the opportunity to participate in sport.”

Scrolling backwards to immediately after Paris 2024, Max says he wanted to do something different to teaching music.

“I spent a lot of time networking, meeting philanthropists and benefactors, often through the NZOC and was inspired by many of the people I met.

“The opportunity to intern with Rob’s business ticks a lot of boxes for me. As a youngster many doors were opened through funding from trusts and the like and this role provides an opportunity to give back.

“I’m a firm believer that the more money put back into sport means not only more opportunities but more successes. I guess you could call it a full circle for me.”

For Rob as Max’s employer, he says that when his business needs people, they need good people.

“He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It’s about the people and it’s about people like Max who have the interpersonal skills along with compatibility and technical competence.

“Max is a fantastic fit and is really up for the work. He’s naturally passionate and very interested in what we do.”

Rob has had a lot of interns in the past but Max is the first through HPSNZ’s PM’s Scholarship internship programme.

“Max is a great example of the ethic and ethos of a HP athlete and how that adds an extra level of commitment, confidence and application to the work he does.

“Through his experience as an HP athlete, Max has world experience and confidence which means he can connect with a really wide range of people, something that’s important in the work our company does.”

While Max is undertaking his internship, he is not sitting on the sidelines during his sports sabbatical.

“I still train twice a day but am doing a wide range of activities, not just kayaking. Having moved to the Bay of Plenty after Paris, I get to run with Sam Tanner, do rock speed climbing with Julian David, take part in Surf Lifesaving and, of course, there is always the time in the gym.”

Whether or not Max will be in a kayak come LA28, he is building a career that will set him up for the future – and of course, there will always be music.