We talk to Keanu Oliver—Year 13 Prefect, Faith Committee member, School Aid leader, and Captain of the Wrestling Team as he prepares for his last few months at Dilworth.
A young man of many talents, Keanu will be known to many as one of Dilworth’s best-ever wrestlers – he is currently the North Island Secondary School’s Champion.
Keanu says no one expected him to become an athlete, least of all himself. Yet today he stands as one of New Zealand’s top young combat athletes, with four Oceania gold medals – two in the Under 17s last year and two in the Under 20s earlier this year. He also has three National Secondary Titles to his name, along with a raft of other championship wins.
Raised in Pukekohe by a family of athletes, Keanu is the youngest of three brothers (both Xavier and Rico also attended Dilworth). Coming from a home that valued hard work over what he terms "easy excuses," he learned early on that nothing worth having is ever handed to you, nor does it come from sitting on the couch.
“My dad was a bodybuilder, my mum was a gymnast, and my stepmother is a former ultra-runner.”
He briefly tried wrestling as a youngster before giving it up, and it wasn't until he arrived at Dilworth that the sport became an option again. In Year 10, he decided to take it up "for fun" alongside rugby. It didn’t take long for his time on the mat to ignite something deeper—what Keanu calls a relentless pursuit of self-improvement that provided a constructive outlet for his fiery personality.
Consciously choosing to focus his energy on wrestling, he made up for what he felt he lacked in sheer physicality through pure discipline.
“It's a very hard sport to train for. I'm not someone born with a lot of natural talent; I wasn’t picked first for lunchtime sports games. I'm not the tallest kid in the room. In fact, so it's really down to my attitude.”
The sport became both a mental and physical test. Deciding he would simply outwork everyone else, Keanu began studying professional fighters, analysing his own weaknesses, building rigorous training regimens, and mastering the technical, strategic moves required on the mat. He also benefited from a strong support network at Dilworth, including a personal trainer, as well as team manager and mentor, Dilworth Old Boy Jack Robertson.
“The thing about wrestling that not a lot of people understand is that it's a game of very small margins.”
His focused approach paid off in rapid improvement. Starting with regional victories at the Auckland and New Zealand Secondary Schools competitions, his momentum grew until he earned a spot on the New Zealand international team. In 2025, he travelled to Samoa to compete in the Oceania Championships in the Under-17 division. On this massive stage, few outside his inner circle expected him to win—including his own pragmatically honest family.
He shocked them all by taking home the gold medal.
“I come from a realist family. We're quite realistic about things. So when I won, I sort of shocked myself, shocked my family, shocked a lot of people - that was a big one!”
How has he coped with the pressure of competing at this level? Keanu attributes his grounding to his faith, his mentors, and an unwavering perspective: success isn't about being born gifted, but about having the sheer grit and discipline to earn your ticket to the top every single day.
He also credits Dilworth for providing the opportunities and support that made it all possible.
“The only reason I am where I am today is that I came back to Dilworth.”
Ms Jensen, Dilworth’s Director of Sport, commented:
“Keanu is a top athlete who is driven and hardworking. His passion for wrestling is obvious, and he strives to be his best every time he competes. Keanu's success is not a surprise to us - we see the hours of training he puts in and the standards he sets for himself. We are immensely proud each time he takes to the mat”.
As he starts to prepare for his future beyond our ‘green gates’, we wish Keanu the very best of luck now and in the future.