Broadcaster returns to her roots

ON AIR: Whanganui returnee Nicky Rennie will soon celebrate 30 years in broadcasting.
PHOTO / Supplied

Nicky Rennie has returned to Whanganui after moving away 30 years ago and will soon celebrate being a broadcaster for just as many years.

Since moving back, the woman who went to Whanganui High School has added another job to her resume - she is currently co-managing the Wanganui Boys & Girls Gym Club.

There, Ms Rennie is working with her father, Clive, who was asked to help at Rutherford Junior High School after principal Diane Henare's husband passed away late last year.

Not only does co-managing the club help Clive, but it also ties into her reason for coming back to the city in the first place.

"I made the decision to come back because I wanted to spend some time in the North Island with mum and dad," she said.

"I'm also really looking forward to growing my business and being able to make a difference around Whanganui."

Ms Rennie owns a company called Polished Marketing which she now operates in Whanganui, as well as broadcasting on Hokonui from the old NZME studio.

"This year I'm celebrating 30 years in broadcasting at the very same radio station I started at, in the same building, from when I was 17 years old," she said.

"I didn't make the decision to move here until NZME set the studio up for me to do that, they just made it so easy."

Despite the hefty workload, Ms Rennie was enjoying the challenge of co-managing at the club.

"Yeah I have quite a work load, but hard work never killed anyone. There are 400 families involved in the gym in this region, so it's an important organisation," she said.

"We're looking to improve the services that we offer, things like catering and accommodation - we're going to crank that up to make more money for the gym itself."

Now that she is back, Ms Rennie has no intention of leaving again.

"I'm loving it here, it's a real creative hub, there are world-beaters and people that have achieved great things," she said.

"They're doing it all from Whanganui."

By Jesse King
Wanganui Chronicle 21/3/18