Farah Rangikoepa Palmer

Farah Palmer holds a Bachelor of Physical Education with Honours, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Sport Sociology. She is also the captain of the Black Ferns women's rugby team.

Age

30.

Iwi

Ngāti Mahuta (Tainui te waka).

Whānau

Descendant of Turanga King from Tahaaroa

Education

Piopio College, Otago University (Bachelor of Physical Education with Honours, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in sport sociology).

Tell us something you remember about school

I remember turning up to my first day at school with my lunch box and all the older students laughed at me. After that, I never took my lunch box out of my bag! I remember always wanting to take part in things, because otherwise life in Piopio was uneventful. So I joined the choir, auditioned for school productions, took part in the sports days, and tried to have as many opportunities as I could while at College. I also remember my last day at school when we the teachers would turn a blind eye as the senior pupils ran around throwing rotten eggs and stink mud at each other in celebration of our time at school. Well, being the co-ordinated person that I am I slipped on an egg yolk and landed on my wrist. It was so sore and I went to the doctors who, after looking at the xray, decided it was broken and put it in a cast. I had a cast on for most of the summer break in between secondary school and University, and when I went back to get the itchy, yucky thing off a different Doctor looked at the xray and started laughing. She said it was not diagnosed properly and I didn't actually have a broken wrist after all! It took me ages to get my forearm back to its normal size and I missed out on my last carefree summer before Uni started!

Occupation

I'm a lecturer at Massey University, Palmerston North.

What did you want to be when you were young?

I wanted to be a mechanic like I thought my Mum was (I later found out she was a petrol pump attendant!). Then I wanted to be an air steward, a nurse, a teacher. All the things girls tend to dream about. Then I went through a bit of a rebel stage where I thought about all these other cool jobs I could do and had never considered because I was too scared. I wanted to be involved in the tourism industry at one stage, looked at doing media studies, wanted to be a pharmacist, wanted to be a forensic scientist (like on CSI!). There were lots of things I wanted to be (and I still do!). All I knew was that I wanted to be involved in a career where I was involved with people, being creative, and making a difference. That is why I enjoy lecturing.

Who are your inspirational role models?

My Mum has always been my main source of inspiration. Mum didn't get many opportunities thrown her way when she was growing up. She basically had to fight to be given the right to go to secondary school, and her upbringing was such that she wasn't encouraged to go any further with her education. I look at how hard she works as a caretaker at the local school, and how little she gets back in terms of rewards. My Mum is the hardest working, most sensible person I know and I wish I was more like her! Another person who I admired was Waimarama Taumaunu. I met her through the scholarship I got to go to University. I thought she was such a strong, powerful woman who had obviously achieved success. I wanted to be like her. In fact, she scared me and that is why I didn't want to let her down at University. My Nana and Koro were also inspirational to me, but for different reasons. My Koro was a grumpy but knowledgeable Koro (like the Koro off the movie – Whale Rider) and he used to try and teach me lots of things associated with tikanga Māori . He taught me the value of integrity and duty, and I learnt that if you commit to something you should see it through. My Nana was the complete opposite... she was a fun-loving, 'naughty' Nana who used to sneak me lollies when Mum said I couldn't have one, or who used to go to housie and spend up large. She loved life, laughter, and was the best person to cuddle. She always had something cooking in her kitchen and always had lots of time and aroha for me. Both my Nana and Koro have passed away now and I miss them everyday.

What significant event has influenced your life?

I suppose I've had lots of little "mini-dramas" in my life. Losing my Nana and Koro and other close family members in the span of about 3 years has been a major time of mourning for me and my family. I was really upset that I didn't finish my doctorate before my Nana and Koro died. I wanted them to be there on my big day. I suppose they were there in spirit. That made me realise how precious time with your whānau is, and how there is no time for procrastination. If I'd have finished my doctorate in less time, I would have had more moments to spend with my Nana and Koro.

I've also gone through a few relationship break ups which at the time are so devastating but there is some truth in the saying that "time heals" because I have come out of these relationships stronger and more in love with life.

Really committing to something and putting 100 percent into it and accepting no excuses has really given me a sense of fulfilment. I really put my heart and soul into doing my doctorate and getting into the Black Ferns. They were really difficult things to do, and at times I wanted to give up, but the fact that I carried on made the actual fulfilment of these dreams that much more rewarding.

The birth of my 3 younger sisters probably changed me. I think I would have been a completely different person if I had grown up an only child. I was 9 when the next one came along, and I went from entertaining myself as a child to helping Mum and Dad with a child. It certainly made me realise how hard it is to bring up children. It also made me less selfish, and more concerned about the welfare of others .

What is your favourite...

· food?

Mutton bird! Fried bread with butter and golden syrup!

· movie?

I really enjoyed Whale Rider. I watched Titanic 3 times because it was so tragic, and I cried and cried when Wilson floated away in Castaway! I watched Forrest Gump about 5 times. I also like foreign films like Like Water for Chocolate and Eat, drink, Man, Woman. They really make me think about things I take for granted.

· person/people?

I like people who show they have a passion for life, who are not afraid to look a little excited every now and then.

· TV programme?

I've just bought a house, so any programme that is about renovating excites me! I must be getting old! I like CSI and try and guess what the outcome is before the programme finishes. I like Sex and the City and sometimes I watch Pukana (even though I can't understand everything they say).

· music?

I like R'n'B stuff. I also like upbeat music which makes you want to jump around and lifts the spirit. Songs like "what a feeling" and "I believe I can fly".

· pastime?

I don't have a lot of "past" time! When I do, I like to spend it with my friends going to the movies, or going out for dinner, or going out nightclubbing. I find it enjoyable pottering around my house doing the lawns, or scraping old wallpaper off. I try to bond with my cat who adopted me because sometimes I think she forgets who I am because I'm hardly home. I like walking along the Manawatu river, window-shopping, having a sleep in, eating!

What would be your ideal day?

Where I have no worries on my mind (all deadlines and obligations have been met)... I can have a sleep in, then go and do something when some close friends that is fun (e.g., go for a bike ride, or a hike, or a drive), have a picnic with lots and lots of food, go for a swim, read a good book or a trashy magazine, laugh with my mates, hear from an old friend, get a surprise visit from someone in my family, stay at home and cook up a big feed in the evening, have a glass of wine, watch a video and fall asleep on the couch! Boring aye?

Tell us about some of your personal qualities and attributes.

Hmmm... I get really intense when I'm focused on a task, I like to try and stay positive even when it is something that I'm dreading like a fitness test or a deadline at work that is looming up fast. I think my friends would say that I'm always rushing around and that I'm hard to get hold of because I'm never home. I like to make everyone feel welcome so I'll often be the one who goes up and talks to the shy person in a room. I don't like to judge people straight away. I like to see something through to the end (even if it isn't going that well) and this can be seen as a positive and a negative. I'm highly competitive and will make anything and everything into a competition! My sisters say that I should have been a counsellor because I'm always trying to solve their problems! They think I should just focus on myself because I am always 'all over the place'

What are your ambitions?

For now, I want to be an awesome teacher, researcher, and community person as part of my job as a lecturer. I really want to make a go of this career before I think about another challenge.

I also want to promote women's rugby, and get some things happening in the Manawatu that haven't happened in the past (like an annual 10s tournament).

At some time or other I would like to do a half-marathon

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Too many for me to list here! I always embarrass myself! Throwing a crooked lineout on TV is embarrassing, going on the Strassman show and grinning like I was the dummy was pretty shameful. But I get used to embarrassing myself and it doesn't bother me. I get over it.

What sparked your interest in following your particular career path?

I wanted to combine my passion for sport with my desire to be involved with people in a way that would make a difference. In other words, I wanted to be involved in the decision-making processes that occur within sport, I wanted to challenge people's ideas about sport and its relationship to culture and society, and I wanted to learn! I love learning, so being a lecturer is a lifelong learning career!

December, 2003