GEMMA'S REAL-LIFE PERSPECTIVE The power of being present

The former Black Sticks star and wellness coach shares how she and husband Richie McCaw are navigating the challenges of modern parenting for their three young daughters.

- WORDS by SOPHIE NEVILLE · PHOTOGRAPHY by EMILY CHALK · HAIR & MAKE-UP by LISA MATSON & KRISZTINA MORICZ · STYLING by VITORIA HARVEY

There are some moments in life that stay with you, not because they're dramatic or life-changing, but because they quietly crystalise something that matters to you. For Gemma McCaw, one of those moments came on a recent trip through Wellington Airport with her husband Richie and their three young children. As they headed towards the departure gate, a rugby team of teenage boys milled around nearby. Normally, Richie, one of the greatest All Blacks of all time, would have been mobbed for selfies and signatures. But this time, not a single head lifted as the family made their way through the group. Every one of the boys - and even the adults with them - was glued to a phone.

"It just makes you wonder," Gemma reflects, "what are we missing when we're always looking down at our screens? It's those little moments of connection we lose."

That question has been front of mind for Gemma as she and Richie raise their daughters, Charlotte, six, Grace, four, and Ella, two. It's also why she's lending her voice to the B416 campaign - a powerful, parent-led campaign advocating for legislation to set a minimum age of 16 to access social media in New Zealand. Co-founded by My Food Bag entrepreneur and mother of three Cecilia Robinson, B416 is made up of a group of parents, health professionals, educators, researchers and business leaders who are deeply concerned about the rising mental health crisis among our young people.

For the hockey star-turned-health and wellness coach, joining the movement is a no-brainer. She's long been concerned about the impact of screens and social media, not just on children, but on adults too. Legislation, she feels, is long overdue.

“We need to protect our kids because we know social media is addictive and we know it can be dangerous,” she says. “We have laws in place around tobacco and alcohol – this shouldn’t be any different. Parents can’t be expected to deal with it on their own.”