Juliette Drysdale
With up to 11 training sessions per week, champion athlete Tori Peeters puts in blood, sweat and tears in pursuit of Olympic javelin glory. The days can be gruelling and the demands tough, so to have fiancé Cam Moorby backing her every step of the way is a critical part of her success.
“I know I can have a terrible day training, but I have so much more to come home to with Cam,” explains Tori, 29. “We try to talk about things other than athletics. It’s really important to have that balance and Cam helps provide that.”
Tori – who grew up on a Southland dairy farm and began throwing the javelin at school at 14 – has just enjoyed her best season to date. She set a New Zealand record in the javelin in May. She’s among the top 10 throwers in the world and finished second in the season-ending Diamond League Final in Oregon.
Now based in Hamilton, she first met Cam when they were both working as teacher aides at St Peter’s School in Cambridge. Tori admits to quickly developing “a crush” on Cam, 30, although she was concerned that he did not share the same feelings.
“We were two of the younger teachers at the school. But when I tried to make small talk with Cam, he was bloody hard work,” recalls Tori. “He was a man of few words, but over time, he softened up. He must have got used to the girl who didn’t shut up!”
Attracted to Tori’s “beautiful blue eyes”, Cam plucked up the courage to ask her for a coffee. The pair became an item five years ago. They both share a passion for sport and Cam now works at Hamilton Boys’ High School. There he’s a PE teacher and 1st XV rugby coach.
He says he is constantly amazed by Tori’s energy and drive. “I’ve never met anyone who knows exactly what they want, and is as driven and determined as Tori!”
Meanwhile, Tori adds of Cam, “He is very kind, with a really nice smile. I can see how he works with his students and he is so patient.”
Even when she’s training, Cam has her back!
The pair enjoy spending time together at the beach, going fishing, or playing the occasional game of tennis or golf. Tori describes them both as “active resters”.
However, Cam admits Tori is the more accomplished of the pair at the many sports they play. “She beats me at most stuff, which is hard to swallow,” he smiles.
“I’m definitely the more competitive,” chips in Tori. “Cam sometimes lets it go, whereas I will fight to the end to win. While trying to pass the time on a flight recently, we played a ‘guess the famous person’ game by asking questions and only replying with yes or no answers. I was losing and I had to play a whole other round to make sure I won!”
During lockdown, the couple spent lengthy periods on Cam’s family dairy farm in Te Awamutu, where Tori recruited her fiancé to maintain her strength and fitness. Without access to a gym, one of her regular drills involved hoisting Cam on to her back. Then, Tori would transport him up and down the paddock. The quirky fitness regime was a hit on Tori’s social media, although Cam insists with a smile, “I also did the same drill with Tori on my back. Nobody knows about that!”
Tori finished an impressive second in Oregon.
Shortly after the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where Tori finished fifth in the women’s javelin, the couple took their relationship to the next level. They got engaged in France.
For the proposal, Cam had chosen a stunning garden in the medieval town of Eze, between Nice and Monaco. However, after the couple arrived late in the afternoon, he realised the gardens had closed for the day.
“I thought, ‘Oh, no, what am I going to do?’ Luckily, I spotted a random photographer who spoke English. He persuaded the gardener to open the gardens for a few minutes. Tori didn’t pick up on anything. I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me before the guy from the garden pointed to his watch. He told us, ‘Hurry up, it’s time to go.'”
It’s a yes from Tori − and just in the nick of time!
Despite the abrupt end, Tori – who today works as a performance excellence pathway coordinator at St Peter’s School – was both “surprised and overwhelmed” by Cam’s proposal. “It was a spectacular moment, like a fairytale,” she enthuses.
The pair will tie the knot in the Waikato next December, following the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Tori is aiming for a podium finish. Cam also plans to be in the French capital next year and Tori couldn’t be happier.
“My main goal is to win a medal in Paris,” she says. “To know that my number-one supporter will be there is really special. It gives me all the encouragement I need.”
