We thank Magnus Bengtsson for his position on the board for the past 6 years. Marcus put his name forward and was offered a position on the board. 

1. When did you join a club? What motivated you to join an orienteering club?
I believe I joined OBOP around 2007, but I was orienteering before that by running in the Auckland summer series.  I was competing in 12 and 24 hour adventure races at the time and realised I need to work on my navigation skills to help with those events.  I joined a club as I wanted to do more navigation type events to upskill myself and OBOP offered that for me when we moved to Rotorua in 2007.  I have been a member of PAPO since 2011 when we moved back to Christchurch.  

2. What do you like most about orienteering?
 The combination of the intellectual challenge and physical work required to get around a course is a unique combination for a race.  I don’t think I have ever got it right!

3. What is a useful skill to remember when you are out orienteering?
Slow things down when running a leg. I have often found walking on technical terrain is far faster!

4.  What are some of the events you really remember? Good or bad!
I remember my first multi-day weekend at Queen’s Birthday in Hawkes Bay with the sprint being in central Havelock North on the roads (would never happen now!) and some great inland maps, i.e. the Slump. Nationals in Rotorua this year was fabulous with the challenges involved. Closer to Christchurch any event on Acheron is excellent.  My worst experience was a Waitangi Festival where I was halfway through the course and on a long leg realised I had the map upside down.

5.  Do you have some advice for new participants trying orienteering for the first time?
Get involved with your local club and attend as many events and training sessions that you can.  If you are a younger person, then go to the school camps – Year 5-8 and the Secondary Schools camps.  I have been to a lot of those with my children and learnt a significant amount myself by doing this.

6. What other things do you think new members might want to know about ONZ and orienteering that may help them go further? 
The ONZ club list and calendar are both good places to start on the ONZ website. The website also has a large amount of resources for skill and training. 

7. As you work in the events, we’re sure you have an idea on what future untapped prospects can you see for orienteering events in the future? 
From what I am seeing in the events industry marketing and promotion is the key driver to participant numbers. From an event idea perspective I can see the MTBO Enduro format becoming more popular and there is scope for a Foot-O enduro that might even stretch over a weekend. I also believe relays are under-utilised but appreciate the work that goes into organising them can be an impediment here.

9. In your opinion what is the ONZ councils’ key role for the sport in the future? 
 I think a key role for the ONZ Council is growing the overall participant numbers in the sport and supporting clubs to do this.  The other major issue to address is volunteer burnout.

10. What other governance roles you might have had?,
 No experience at governance. I have not held any roles at a national level, but have been involved with PAPO on their committee (most recently secretary) and also OBOP.  Through my events experience I have been involved with a number of national events at a governance level.

11. What other skills you bring to the board?
 I am self employed which makes me look at things differently than working for someone else.  It requires a lot of time and discipline.  I am a professional trustee with my business Covisory and spend a lot of time facilitating and negotiating for and with families.  My other business provides timing and results services to events.

12. Why you are interested in being involved at the board level?
 I am interested in being involved in strategic decision making for ONZ and helping set direction for the next 5-10 years.  It is something I have not has a great deal of exposure to apart from in my own businesses and I am excited to be involved with this.

13. What is your experience you have with events?
I  have a lot of experience with events. I did own an events management company a few years back that was involved mountain biking events and we delivered the world single speed mountain bike champs in Rotorua in 2010. I own a company that provides results and timing services to events, meaning I am dealing with events on a daily basis. This has also given me an opportunity to see what is done well and not so well with events in New Zealand and overseas.