Needing some inspiration? ...

Join us as we prepare for take-off, to a day of delicious dining options, great entertainment, and prepare to be inspired by our celebrity guest speakers!

Introducing Allyson Gofton and Eric Murray, both icons in their fields and experts at what they do. Hospice EBOP are so excited to have them attend our exciting one-off fundraiser TAKE FLIGHT WITH HOSPICE to tell us about their journey ...

ALLYSON GOFTON

Allyson, who is originally from Tasmania, came to NZ in 1983 to work for Tui Flower at the NZ Women’s Weekly Test Kitchen and fell in love with NZ and stayed. She has worked in every aspect of food from home economist where she honed skills on writing to the home cook. A stint at being food stylist to Graham Kerr on his return to television allowed her to travel and work in America and the UK in the late 80s. Behind a desk, Allyson managed the NZ Nutrition Foundation where she ran national campaigns on healthful eating – a life-long passion. Being an advertising account manager working on food clients and, a public relations manager in a stunning 5-star hotel, gave her the chance to see how food advertising and promotion can be used to twist the ‘bad to good’, causing us to make unhealthy food choices. However, her favourite job was being the food editor of NEXT magazine for seventeen years.

Apart from a side-step as an air hostess, something Allyson says was

“an aberration of fun’’, her career has always been food-focused. Having authored 20 plus books, Allyson, now semi-retired, has now taken a side-step into semi-rural life in Cambridge where she lives with her husband Warwick, and children Jean-Luc,18 and Olive-Rose, 13. Allyson joins us to share her food wisdom, which she plans to impart with a healthy dose of laughter, recalling many adventures of a lifetime in food.

ERIC MURRAY

As a ‘fat’ kid growing up in Pukekohe, Eric took up rowing like many at school and continued the sport past his schooling days into the Club scene with the ambition to make it into a National team. On completing those first steps, Eric has gone on to be a member of the NZ Olympic Team at four consecutive Olympic Games.

It hasn’t been all plain sailing for Eric with a disappointment at the Beijing Olympics, after being World Champions the year before in the Men’s Four. Fortunately, this spurred him into The Kiwi Pair combination (with rowing doubles partner, Hamish Bond) which has become a history making decision. In the space of eight years, The Kiwi Pair have never lost a race, amassing an incredible 71 Consecutive race victories at 24 World Rowing events. Eric holds every conceivable record in rowing in the Men’s Pair and also is the current holder of four World Records on the indoor Rowing machine. The journey of The Kiwi Pair hasn’t been without its up and downs - learning how to be successful and stay successful has been a key to the incredible legacy Eric and Hamish have left on the sport. There are not many people that have left a mark on the sport of Rowing as a globally recognisable combination.

In 2012 Eric was awarded the NZ Order of Merit for his services to Sport and Rowing. He along with Hamish Bond have been Halberg Team of the Year winners on four occasions and taken away the Supreme Award twice.

Eric is a good-natured ‘Kiwi Bloke’ who lays it all on the table. He speaks about staying motivated, challenging yourself and being able to differentiate when to follow and when you need to be a leader. Learning the personal attributes that he’s used in his sport will enable you to get to the top in your chosen field. Learn how to become the best and stay the best from the man who was able to outsmart the competition.

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Are you as excited as we are? Book your tickets today! https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2021/feb/take-flight