Some of Briana Stephenson’s hardest days as an athlete led her to make one of her boldest decisions — switching events from long jump to the heptathlon. No stranger to injury and knee surgery Stephenson ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament playing netball in her final year at Napier Girls’ High School. She was riding a high – making the New Zealand Secondary School netball team and selected for the Oceania athletics champs. Photo: Casey SimsReturning for her final year of high school she was determined to make the national secondary school netball team again and, on the track secure an athletics scholarship to a US college. “It’s a light weekend for me,” laughs Stephenson, the current national heptathlon champion.

Source: Stuff March 06, 2026 22:47 UTC