Alumna runner makes NZ history
- zclr56
- 7 hours ago
- 1 min read
Avcol alumna Kimberley May is now New Zealand's second fastest female athlete to compete in the 1500m sprint.
She clocked an astonishing 4:04.40 at the Internazionale Sport Solidarietà in Italy, just behind Parisian Olympian Maia Ramsden. Kimberley’s time is a 25-second leap from her personal best when she left Avcol on a scholarship in 2021.
Kimberley grew up in Titirangi in a family renown for karate, earning a black belt before pivoting to cross-country and track. At Avcol, she found her stride as a distance runner, eventually securing a track scholarship to Providence College in Rhode Island, USA—a school famous for developing world-class Kiwi athletes.
In addition to her history making feat on the mile, over her four years at Providence, Kimberley competed in the NCAA finals multiple times and finished second behind Ramsden in 2023.
She credits longtime Providence coach Ray Treacy, as well as Graeme Holden from Auckland City Athletics, for guiding her growth both on and off the track.
Now a sociology graduate, Kimberley has signed professionally with New Balance and will continue training in the US. But first, she’ll proudly wear the black singlet for New Zealand at the FISU World University Games in Germany - one of the world's biggest multisport events, joining an 84-strong Kiwi team - including alumnus Lex Revell-Lewis.
Photo: Meeting Internazionale Sport Solidarietà
