Stella Tanner is one of New Zealand’s best up and coming orienteers and a middle and long-distance running talent. Despite being just 13 years old, she has already established herself as one of the country’s premier athletes in her age group through an extraordinary combination of speed, endurance and competitive determination.
Stella is the current New Zealand National Junior Age Group Champion orienteer and has dominated competition throughout the country, claiming North Island Club and Secondary Schools championship titles across sprint, middle-distance and long-distance orienteering events.
Her remarkable versatility allows her to excel over a wide range of distances, making her one to watch in the coming years.
In recognition of her outstanding performances, Stella has been selected to represent New Zealand at the 2026 Oceania Cup Championships in Canberra, Australia, where she will proudly wear the silver fern against the region’s best young athletes.
Cross country has become one of Stella’s greatest strengths. Her breakthrough season came when she dominated the Under 14 girls’ cross-country circuit, winning the prestigious Grand Prix Championship Series across five events before securing the overall Road Race Championship title to complete an exceptional season.
Stella has established herself as one of New Zealand’s leading young orienteers. She has claimed three gold medals at the North Island Orienteering Championships this year, earned multiple podium finishes at the New Zealand Orienteering Championships, and showcased her talent internationally by winning the junior girls’ division of the annual Sprint the Coast Orienteering Sprint Series in Australia. Her achievements across both athletics and orienteering reflect her exceptional endurance, speed, and versatility as a young athlete.
With an incredible work ethic, natural racing instinct and the ability to perform across disciplines and distances, Stella has already built an outstanding résumé at a remarkably young age. As she continues to develop, Stella has the talent and determination to achieve success on the international stage for many years to come.