Cove Lambert has persevered through many struggles, seeing each obstacle as a source of motivation.
What might seem like a bump in the road to many, Cove Lambert sees as a launching pad.
From moving countries, to moving schools, to becoming a foster child, Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) tauira Cove always focused on taking the path leading him closer to his goals.
“Growing up I moved around a fair bit, living in England, Australia, Tauranga and then finally moving to Hawke’s Bay when I was eight.”
The changes continued, with moving between two primary schools and being taken into foster care at a young age due to abuse and neglect.
“Being a foster kid was never an easy task. Although this was a weight I had to carry, it was also motivation,” Cove says.
So when it came to the choice of going to university, Cove “always knew that was the path I was going to take”.
“I’ve always been interested in pursuing study that combined my passion for sports, helping people, and science.
“I am thoroughly enjoying my first year, and my motivation to make a positive difference in the sporting community through physiotherapy is driving me to succeed through the challenges this course presents.”
Receiving the Otago 150th Scholarship was a big help, Cove says.
“The scholarship has really made a huge impact on my lifestyle at University. It allowed me to focus on the work at hand and not so much on the monetary side of things.
“I have achieved and participated in so much more than I imagined I would have been able to.”
Cove also credits his high school, Central Hawke’s Bay College, with providing him a platform to excel in a number of areas.
“I was on the student council for three years, the Board of Trustees Student Rep twice, and then the Deputy Head Prefect in 2023.”
Years 9-13 were also big on sport, something that has always been a part of his life, Cove says.
“Being active was almost like therapy to me, helping me zone out of everything buzzing through my brain and allowing me to focus on enjoying the moment.”
Cove with some of his sporting accolades from his high school years.
While at high school, Cove went to the nationals for long jump and triple jump, played in his college’s football first XI, captaining and being awarded most valuable player in his last year, and the golden boot in his final two years. He also competed in the school’s top senior boys’ volleyball team and captained the school’s Ki-O-Rahi team.
“These sporting opportunities were massive contributors to my life and in the shaping of my future as it is now.
“I encourage everyone to get active and get involved, it contributes more to your life than you would ever expect.”
Even through the struggles of being a foster child, Cove never let his focus waver, instead using it as a source of motivation to prove he could still achieve what he put his mind to and be a positive role model, he says.
His hard work resulted in Cove receiving the Prime Minister’s Oranga Tamariki Award for general excellence in 2021, one of only 26 youth in the country to receive this award at the time.
The awards acknowledge excellence in a variety of areas such as academic achievement, creative entrepreneurship, skills and technology, and leadership for rangatahi who have been in care.
“Receiving the award was an absolute privilege.
“It showed me that I really could achieve what I work hard for, as well as inspire me even more in helping other people, giving them the necessary support and guidance to succeed and have a higher quality of life.”
His passion for helping others is also what drove Cove to explore youth work through Epic Ministries, a charitable trust focused on the development of youth in Central Hawke’s Bay.
Through Epic Ministries, Cove had the opportunity to be a part of the Central Hawke’s Bay Youth Council and work as a Youth Intern organising fortnightly activities for children.
“These opportunities helped me develop my interpersonal skills and qualities, my outlook on myself and on others, and how I could positively impact other people’s lives.”
While school, extra curriculars and volunteering seemed like a lot, Cove would not have it any other way, he says.
“Doing all of these things seemed impossible from an outside perspective, but I realised once you start to actually do them, you always manage to find the time.
“I’ve found the benefits of making other people happy is well worth the hard task.”
Now that he’s at Otago, he’s aiming high, both in his studies and enjoying everything University has to offer.
“I’m working towards being accepted into the physiotherapy programme, as well as keeping up my own fitness and passion for sports and continuing helping people around me,” Cove says.
“I also aim to have enjoyment in my life as a whole through the things I do, the decisions I make, the things I have achieved, and everything that I am yet to achieve.”
If there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s that it is important to look beyond the struggles to find a solution and to persevere, he says.
“Whilst everything may seem impossible at times, anything is possible if you put your mind to it, and I am living proof of that.”
~ Kōrero by Sandra French, Adviser, Internal Communications.