Mariah Ririnui

Mariah Ririnui (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui) knows what it takes to perform at the highest level – both on the athletics track and in her professional career.

A five-time New Zealand long-jump champion and former 100-metre sprint titleholder, Mariah has represented her country with pride while building a stellar career in sports management.

Now based in Melbourne as Integrity Officer for Australian Athletics, Mariah draws daily on the communication and leadership skills she developed at the University of Waikato.

She completed a Bachelor of Communication Studies with Honours majoring in Public Relations, a Master of Management Studies (since renamed the Master of Business) specialising in Public Relations, and a Graduate Certificate in Law.

Mariah says she didn’t have a set career in mind when she came from Tauranga Girls’ College to study at Waikato, but chose communications for its versatility, because it could open avenues to all sorts of careers.

“My Bachelor of Communication gave me a strong foundation of written and verbal communication skills that I can apply to almost any field,” she says.

The degree taught her how to think critically, build relationships, and communicate effectively with different audiences – all essential skills in sport and business.

She squeezed in her master's while recovering from a ruptured achilles, focusing her dissertation on the triggers that prompted people to buy athlete supplements.

"Turns out athletes were mostly influenced by other elite athletes, often unaware that athletes promoting supplement use didn’t have to state they were in paid partnerships."

Mariah chose to study at the University of Waikato because it offered her a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship for high achievement in sport.

“There were so many benefits attached to the scholarship,” she says. “Development opportunities, access to coaches, a free gym membership, and even leadership sessions. It was great learning to lead with like-minded athletes who shared similar experiences. The whole environment was really cool.”

After graduating, Mariah’s first role was Community Sport Advisor at Sport Bay of Plenty. Then she moved to Auckland to join Athletics New Zealand, first as Club Development Leader and later Coaching Coordinator.

Her communication qualifications proved useful as she was tasked with leading professional upskilling for junior coaches and community programmes nationwide. “You have to be forward-thinking, because you’re driving what happens across the country and working with key regional people. It’s all about relationships, and helping coaches understand the how and why."

After three years she was promoted to Performance, Environments and Culture Manager for Athletics NZ – helping shape the future of the sport she loves.

Then in 2025 she crossed the ditch to Melbourne to take up her exciting new role with Australian Athletics.