St Peter’s Cambridge’s head girl for 2025 is a young woman of many talents.
Madeleine Waddell with her mother Sonia (left) and brother Hayden pose for a family shot after St Peter’s Cambridge’s senior prizegiving. The bouquet of sunflowers was gifted by Madeleine’s cousins. Photo – supplied
Madeleine Waddell shattered New Zealand under-17 and under-18 women’s 400m running records at the World Athletics Under-20 championships in Peru in August.
She went into the event ranked 34th, ran a personal best of 54.02 seconds in her heat and shaved more than half a second off that time to clock 53.50 in her semi-final. She finished 14th overall.
The 17-year-old has played a variety of sports started focusing on athletics this year coached by her mum Sonia.
Sonia Waddell represented New Zealand in athletics, rowing and cycling, and her father Rob is an Olympic rowing gold medallist. Her two older siblings, Sophie and Hayden, were also head students at St Peter’s.
Madeleine Waddell prepares to race in her 400m semi-final at the Estadio Nacional in Peru. Photo – supplied
“For me, leading a balanced life and striving for excellence is just kind of normal,” Madeleine said. “That message has been drilled into me from a young age – to have high standards and give everything a go.”
The year 12 student, who is studying in the St Peter’s International Baccalaureate programme and was top of her psychology class this year, is also a keen piano and guitar player who took part in school productions in 2021 and 2023.
She also enjoyed volunteer work with refugees in Hamilton this year.
The gifted all-rounder believes one of the biggest issues facing today’s students is the pressure to conform to unrealistic expectations.
“With all the social media in our generation you get exposed to a lot at a young age, and various different successes, and it’s easy to feel bad about yourself if you’re not doing the same,” she said.
“But everyone excels at different things and at different times. You only see one side of the story on social media.
“There are obviously going to be ups and downs all throughout life, and inevitably there will be setbacks, but it’s how you choose to respond to those setbacks that matters.”
Next year, she aims to work alongside St Peter’s head boy Alapati Tusa Soagia, deputy head boy Olly Jeffares and deputy head girl Sinali Kuruppuge to enhance the school’s “already strong community”.
“I would like to create an environment where everyone is able to contribute and feel heard around the school, as is already being done, but to amplify that as well,” she said.
Madeleine Waddell takes off in her 400m semi-final at the Estadio Nacional in Peru. Photo – supplied
