New Zealand’s most decorated Olympian and Paralympian have added another title to their names.
Dame Lisa Carrington and Dame Sophie Pascoe, the peerless sportswomen, have been recognised in the 2022 New Year Honours list for their accomplishments. (The third woman receiving the top honour today is Dame Marie Shroff, Cabinet Secretary from 1987 to 2003 and then Privacy Commissioner until 2014.)
Carrington and Pascoe have 25 Olympic and Paralympic medals between them - 16 gold - and are two of the 11 Kiwi women in sport recognised on this year’s list.
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Dame Sophie Pascoe, Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
The family of New Zealand’s most successful Paralympian received one delayed, but extra special, Christmas present this year.
Dame Sophie Pascoe kept the news of her new title secret from her family while they camped together at Golden Bay over the summer, wanting to surprise them.
The first person the swimming legend told was the woman she calls her "biggest supporter" - her nana, Yvonne - over the phone, before telling her partner, Rob, in person after work.
“They were both so happy for me,” says Pascoe, who hadn’t told anyone else of her damehood until today.
Initially surprised when she received the email, Pascoe’s humble nature shone through, thinking of all the other deserving people out there, and admits she’s still coming to terms with the honour.
“As athletes we don’t train for these titles, so to receive one for what we do and how we can make a positive impact in our society and throughout the world, I’m just really really honoured,” she says.
The 28-year-old won her first Paralympic medal at the 2008 Beijing Games at the age of 15, and has gone on to earn 19 medals over four Paralympics.
Pascoe, who became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009, also has an extensive list of people to thank: “...To my parents, to my partner, to my family and friends and then obviously Roly, my coach, my core support team, Team Pascoe that are working with me everyday to be the best athlete I possibly can be."
She also wants to thank the everyday Kiwis who have supported her.
“It’s a team that gets you through what you do, I definitely couldn’t do this on my own and they’re very much part of this legacy. They’re the ones who have been able to help me achieve my dreams and become the person and the athlete that I am,” she says.
Recognised as a role model in the disabled community role and the Paralympian movement, Pascoe was chosen as New Zealand’s Para Athlete of the Decade at this year's Halberg Awards, and went on to win four medals at the Tokyo Paralympics - a challenging Covid-affected campaign for the swimmer.
Qualifying for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games will happen in April, with Pascoe only gunning for one event - the 100m freestyle.
Beyond that, she hasn’t committed herself to any competitions.
“Anything long term post-Comm Games, I haven’t really planned too much,” she says. “I’m sort of leaving it as an open door to see whether I continue or may venture outside of the pool. I’m not too sure at this stage.”
Sports Minister Grant Robertson said of Pascoe: "She will be New Zealand’s youngest ever Dame, but there is no doubting her rightful place in our sporting history.
“Sophie has had an astounding career. She made her international debut at just 13 years old and has not stopped performing at the highest level since then."
Dame Lisa Carrington, Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Dame Lisa Carrington is having a typical Kiwi summer - spending time with whānau at the beach in her home town of Ōhope.
Her achievements are far from ordinary, however, as she became New Zealand's most decorated Olympian this year; her three gold medals from Tokyo adding to her two existing golds and one bronze.
Carrington was blown away when she received the news she would become a Dame.
“It's an acknowledgment of the work I’ve done and things I've achieved so far in my career, but it’s also a tribute to all the people who support me in what I do,” says the canoe racer, undefeated in the K1 200m event since 2011.
“My fiancé, Bucky, my whānau and friends, my Canoe Racing NZ training partners and teammates – the list is long.
“My coach, Gordy [Walker], has been with me all the way and our partnership just grows from strength to strength."
There’s to be no rest for the Halberg Awards’ Sportswoman of the Decade recipient - the 32-year-old already committing to competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Aside from her own career, Carrington supports and coaches young paddlers at her home club in Ōhope, and helps Canoe Racing NZ to grow the sport.
While Carrington’s mind is firmly set on Paris, her new title hasn’t quite stuck yet.
“I'm still in the process of getting my head around it – I think it will take some time for the magnitude of such an honour to properly sink in.” (Like Pascoe, Carrington is also a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, from the 2013 New Year Honours).
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said this morning: “Lisa and Sophie are our greatest ever Olympian and Paralympian.
“No one who saw them will forget Lisa Carrington’s golden days on the water in Tokyo earlier this year. But she is far more than our greatest ever Olympian. Humble and kind, she is a role model for girls and boys across the country and continues to give back through her coaching of young paddlers.
“Sophie Pascoe is our greatest Paralympian, winning 19 medals across four Paralympic Games. A ground breaker and trendsetter, she is a role model within and beyond the disability community and an advocate for equality."
Other sportswomen and administrators honoured today:
Dr Michèle Hawke, Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Dr Michèle Hawke’s gymnastics legacy spans the globe, judging competitions around the world. Before becoming a Federation of International Gymnastics qualified judge in 1980, she studied at the University of Auckland, receiving her PhD in geology and earth science in 1983.
Hawke established the New Zealand junior development training squad, a programme supporting young gymnasts to reach their full potential - some going on to represent New Zealand at world championships and Commonwealth Games. She now lends her expertise as the chair of New Zealand's women’s artistic gymnastics technical committee.
Gaye Bryham, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Gaye Bryham’s work at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) combines her passions for education and sport. In 2000, she became deputy head of AUT's School of Sport and Recreation, a position she still holds - showing her commitment to her two fields. Bryham also helped establish AUT Millennium, the health and fitness centre dedicated to high performance and community sports alongside health and wellbeing.
Celia Patrick, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
The first New Zealander on the board of the International Tennis Federation, Celia Patrick has been an essential part of Tennis New Zealand over the past decade. Her work establishing relationships with stakeholders and regional groups boosted tennis within New Zealand, and her experience over 40 years has also helped grow the sport on a global scale.
Jane Tehira, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Overcoming many obstacles as a Māori athlete in the 1950s, Jane Tehira was the first woman to play for New Zealand in three sporting codes. Representing her country in basketball, softball and hockey, she was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. Winning seven national titles along the way, Tehira also played netball and rugby and was a natural leader, captaining several teams in Akarana.
Laura Thompson, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Laura Thompson has five Paralympic medals to her name as a sighted pilot, breaking a world record at the London 2012 Games with Phillipa Gray. Retiring after collecting a silver and a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Games with Emma Foy, Thompson transitioned to coaching. In 2020, she was chosen for the Te Hāpaitanga programme, supporting her coaching career and her role as the para cycling national development coordinator with Paralympics New Zealand.
Beverley Douglas, Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Bev Douglas is a legend in the New Zealand netball community, with her commitment spanning over 50 years. Her expertise has been used in a variety of roles, including as a team manager, board member and netball statistician. She was the team manager of the New Zealand U21 side who won the world youth championship in 1992 in Fiji. In 2015, Douglas was elected Netball New Zealand president, a position she held until 2019.
Marilyn Moffatt, Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
First involved with the Lyall Bay Surf Life Saving Club in 1971 as a 14-year-old, Marilyn Moffatt was part of New Zealand’s first women’s surf boat crew, and has won three national titles and four world championships. She has also spent time as treasurer, board member and team manager at Wellington Surf Lifesaving. Her commitment to reducing barriers for women in surf lifesaving made her the perfect candidate for president of Surf Life Saving New Zealand in 2019, only the second woman to hold the role.
Rosalie Wrathall, Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Rosalie Wrathall was the first woman to be president of the Tūrangi Golf Club and led the way with her work to grow and support the women’s game. With over 40 years of service to golf, Wrathall was a board member of Women’s Golf New Zealand, and also won numerous titles on the greens.
Ina Hansen, Queen’s Service Medal
Along with teaching at Tawa College for 38 years, Ina Hansen has also impacted the lives of rugby players throughout the Wellington region. From coaching her son’s team in 1973, Hansen went on to chair the Wellington Secondary Schools Rugby Union in 1991 - the first woman to do so.
