17 August 2012 - 0 Comments

As Olympic Eventers pack up bags, medals and horses they'll be whistling an Olympic tune written especially to spur them and fellow athletes on to victory, and it isn't the one commissioned by the NZOC. As the sound track for Eventing New Zealand's annual awards dinner video clip, it was posted on facebook and garnered over 8000 likes in the first 24  hours. It was also posted by the Federation Equestre Internationale Facebook team.  Warrick Allen, High Performance Operations Manager for Equestrian Sports NZ added it to the Paralympic  Eventing clip too.

"Of course the New Zealand Olympic Committee has an official song, but this one makes you shiver" he said.

Mark Todd sent a text to the young singer-songwriter on his 3rd day in to the games: 'Well done on the song Edward.  Even my Brit friends are singing it.' New Zealand Olympic Team Chef de Mission, Dave Currie, said he'd look to play it in the Kiwi team lounge as games rounded off.   Edward Ewbank is astonished by the attention that this track is getting.

When he sat down at the piano to write The Kiwi Team song in July he had tonsillitis. Soon to be released 'Live like I'm alive' needed much attention but, himself a 3 star horseman, he couldn't turn Eventing New Zealand's Sally Millar down.

Ironically, fifteen minutes after playing the first chord it was complete.  "Despite being exhausted the words and the music all just came together so well" says Edward.
 
Top NZ Olympian Jock Paget said he had "worked with Ed and horses for a long time and he's always singing- in the stables, the paddock, you name it. He has a terrific voice." Music Industry guru Paul Ellis said it was written from the heart: "this is the sort of quality that endures in music and Kiwi's need to support young artists who display this."

But horse lovers and athletes aren't the only ones to benefit.  All profits from the song will go to kid's cancer charity, CanTeen. National Marketing Manager, Kimberley Waters, takes her hat off to Ewbanks for his generosity. "It shows that as a young person he is supporting his peers and appreciates hardship that others are going through. It's not often someone gives money from something like this of their own initiative." Sales reports will be available end October 2012, when the first payment will be made to CanTeen.

Link to CanTeen and the song: http://www.canteen.org.nz/about/news-and-media/song-'kiwi-team'-to-donate-all-its-proceeds-to-canteen

Link to the song: http://www.londons-olympic.com/kiwi_team_eventing_nz_olympic_team_2012/vi/X88kMNV0A64.html

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