Oak Chisholm wins Golden Phoenix Award 2025
By Elaine Kelly | Posted: Wednesday October 29, 2025
When we first inaugurated this award for McIndoe House in 2021, we were inspired by one young man’s many achievements in rowing.
That young man was Reuben Cook, who honoured McIndoe House with his supreme efforts in this sport. He was the first recipient of this award and has continued to have success in the USA, rowing for Princeton.
Since then, the criteria for the Golden Phoenix Award have evolved. Yes, the number of Phoenix Awards you win in the year matters, but the Golden Phoenix is not only awarded to the boy who gains the most Phoenix Awards; both achievement and character count! Here are the criteria :
Gain at least three Phoenix awards
Consistently display the school values and bring honour to McIndoe House
Enhance the reputation of Otago Boys’ High School at a local, national or international level
Oak has truly represented OBHS and McIndoe House very well this year, gaining six Phoenix Awards. A young man who continually challenges himself to reach his personal best in all of his sporting endeavours, Oak has a number of exceptional achievements and regularly plays in Men’s basketball, playing well above his grade level. He was recently awarded U20 MVP by Basketball Otago, was selected earlier in the year for the Nuggets NBL and helped bring back bronze from the 3x3 South Island Secondary Schools’ Basketball tournament.
For Oak, it is not just about putting all his effort into his one chosen sport. As well as his achievements in Basketball, Oak has done the house proud on Athletics Day, being in the team that secured gold in the Year 13 Relay and gaining silver in the 100m. He also recently represented OBHS in Australia with the 1st XI Cricket team.
He always has time for his brothers and is a highly respected member of McIndoe House. He is basically a really good bloke who quietly sets an example to younger students! We hope that his achievements will make other boys want to aspire to a Golden Phoenix award themselves!
