Dylan Kennett (Ngāi Tahu, Tuahiwi) is a 19-year-old making rapid progress as a New Zealand representative track cyclist. He is rated number one in the world for scratch racing by the world cycling governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and looks likely to ride for New Zealand at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July, as part of the men’s team pursuit and possibly the scratch race event.

Dylan won three silver and three bronze medals at the Junior World Championships in the six events he contested, and as a result, he made the last four nominations at last year’s Halberg Awards for the Emerging Talent award, where he lost out to golfer, Lydia Ko.

Dylan is the son of Craig and Caryl Kennett. Craig is the eldest son of Karolyn Kennett, daughter of Whitu (nee Huria) and Leonard Cox of Tuahiwi. Dylan and his older brother Josh (21) spent the first few years of their -upbringing in the original Cox house in Tuahiwi.

After playing age group rugby for a number of years – often for South Canterbury – Dylan took up cycling five years ago He made an instant impact on the sport by dominating his under-17 age group and winning five New Zealand titles from six events at the national championships. He then won 10 more national titles over the next two years as an under-19 competitor.

He recently won a bronze medal at his first senior track world championships in Cali, Colombia as a member of the New Zealand men’s team pursuit and two weeks later he won three New Zealand titles and two silver medals, which made him the most successful senior male athlete at this year’s New Zealand championships.

He heads to Europe early April to the BikeNZ base in Belgium where the team will prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Craig says his son most likely got his athletic ability from both the Cox and Kennett sides with his mother’s brothers all being good rugby and league players plus his father Kelvin was Kaiapoi’s first New Zealand league representative when he made the national schoolboys’ team in the 60s. Kelvin also held most of the Rangiora High School athletics records. Kelvin’s father Edwin was known to everyone as “Bullet” and was a top sprinter in his day.
“ I think it skipped me and jumped to Dylan,” says Craig.

Dylan is currently part of the New Zealand track cycling team and has just competed in Colombia at the world elite championships, winning bronze in the team pursuit. In his short career so far, Dylan has been a New Zealand champion, plus a world youth champion. He was born in Tuahiwi at his great-pōua Len and Taua Whitu Cox’s home, where his whānau lived briefly before moving to Amberley. They then moved to Waimate, where Dylan now lives with his parents, Craig and Karyl Kennett and older brother Josh. Dylan is a direct descendant of Hohepa Huria Ngāi Tahu – Taumutu Kokiri , Puneke Huria (Ngāi Tūāhuriri)  – Te Rahuru Russell (Ōtākou), Whitu Huria – Len Cox, Karolyn Cox – Kelvin Kennett, Craig Kennett – Karyl Kennett. At only 20 years old, Dylan has a bright future. Tūmeke.

Dylan Kennett, centre, winner of the Individual Pursuit at the NZ National Cycling Championships with Patrick Bevan, left and Aaron Gate, right.

Dylan Kennett, centre, winner of the Individual Pursuit at the NZ National Cycling Championships with Patrick Bevan, left and Aaron Gate, right.

From left, Dylan Kennett, Piet Bulling, Marc Ryan and Aaron Gate at the 2014 World Championships in Colombia.

From left, Dylan Kennett, Piet Bulling, Marc Ryan and Aaron Gate at the 2014 World Championships in Colombia.