Gala Dinner to Celebrate Victory in Sport

Friday, 26 May 2006

New Zealand Academy of Sport Gala Dinner to Celebrate Victory in Sport

New Zealand’s top athletes are coming together in Auckland next week for the New Zealand Academy of Sport’s biennial celebration toasting the nation’s top athletic performances in the past two years.

Valerie Vili, Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, and members from the New Zealand Rugby Sevens team are among the 70 athletes who will attend the New Zealand Academy of Sport Gala Dinner at Sky City in Auckland this Tuesday, May 30.

New Zealand athletes have posted impressive results over the last two years, including 27 world championship titles, 70 world placings and 31 Commonwealth Games medals, and the black-tie Gala Dinner is an opportunity for the nation’s sports community to recognise and congratulate those athletes and teams.

“It’s important that all of us in the New Zealand sporting community formally recognise outstanding achievement, celebrate victory in sport and honour New Zealand’s very best athletes,” said Nick Hill, SPARC’s (Sport & Recreation New Zealand) Chief Executive.

Held in association with the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Paralympics New Zealand, the Gala Dinner is held every two years to celebrate those athletes who have achieved with distinction either at world championship events or at the recent Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

“It’s awe inspiring to look back over two years and reflect on the success of New Zealand’s top sports people,” said SPARC Chairman John Wells.

“If we are to develop and nurture talent, we need to hold these role models in the highest regard and recognise and celebrate their achievements as being something to which our young athletes can aspire.”

The New Zealand Academy of Sport is SPARC’s high performance network providing a wide range of services for high performance athletes. The Academy is the focal point for sporting excellence in New Zealand, and is committed to providing a platform for success through the Academy’s philosophy of being athlete centred, coach led, performance driven and administratively supported – all with the goal of helping New Zealand athletes win at an international level.

New Zealand Academy of Sport 2006, Gala Dinner Award recipients:

Sport Name Region

Athletics Angela McKee Mt Roskill, Auckland
Athletics Jonathan Wyatt Motueka
Athletics Kate McIlroy Wellington
Athletics Nick Willis Wellington
Athletics Tony Sargisson Bayswater, Auckland
Athletics Valerie Vili Pakuranga, Auckland
Athletics (EAD) Matthew Slade Invercargill
Athletics (EAD) Terry Falevaai New Lynn, Auckland
Athletics (EAD) Tim Prendergast Wellington
Badminton Daniel Shirley Henderson, Auckland
Badminton Sara Runesten Petersen Henderson, Auckland
Bowls Dwayne Cameron Manurewa, Auckland
Bowls Jan Khan Christchurch
Bowls Marina Khan Tokoroa
Bowls Sharon Sims Palmerston North
Canoeing Ben Fouhy Glenfield, Auckland
Cycling Darren Shea Christchurch
Cycling Gordon McCauley Point Chevalier, Auckland
Cycling Greg Henderson Point Chevalier, Auckland
Cycling Hayden Godfrey Christchurch
Cycling Hayden Roulston Ashburton
Cycling Jesse Sergent Feilding
Cycling Marc Ryan Timaru
Cycling Peter Latham Te Awamutu
Cycling Rosara Joseph Wellington
Cycling Sam Bewley Rotorua
Cycling Timothy Gudsell Te Awamutu
Cycling Westley Gough Waipukurau
Rowing Caroline Evers-Swindell Cambridge
Rowing George Bridgewater Cambridge
Rowing Georgina Evers-Swindell Cambridge
Rowing Juliette Haigh Cambridge
Rowing Mahe Drysdale Cambridge
Rowing Nathan Twaddle Cambridge
Rowing Nicola Coles Cambridge
Shearing David Fagan Te Kuiti
Shearing Grant Smith Rakaia
Shearing Joanne Kumeroa Dunedin
Shearing Tina Rimene Cheviot
Shooting Graeme Ede Canterbury
Shooting Greg Yelavich Stanmore Bay, Auckland
Shooting Juliet Etherington Mt Eden, Auckland
Shooting Kathryn Mead Ellerslie, Auckland
Skate Sports Kalon Dobbin Palmerston North
Skate Sports Peter Michael Palmerston North
Skate Sports Reyon Kay Paraparaumu
Skate Sports Shane Dobbin Palmerston North
Skate Sports Shaun Perkinson Palmerston North
Squash Callum O'Brien Cambridge
Squash Campbell Grayson Titirangi, Auckland
Squash Glen Wilson UNITED STATES
Squash Lara Heta Mt Wellington, Auckland
Squash Louise Crome Remuera, Auckland
Squash Martin Knight Waterview, Auckland
Squash Shelley Kitchen North Shore
Squash Tamsyn Leevey Wellington
Surf Life Saving Ayla Dunlop-Barrett New Plymouth
Surf Life Saving Dominic Toomey Christchurch
Surf Life Saving Glenn Anderson Gisborne
Surf Life Saving Holly Moczydlowski Papamoa, Bay of Plenty
Surf Life Saving Johanna O'Connor Tauranga
Surf Life Saving Julia Toomey Mt Eden, Auckland
Surf Life Saving Lucy Pengelly Helensville, Auckland
Surf Life Saving Michael Buck North Shore
Surf Life Saving Morgan Foster Christchurch
Surf Life Saving Nathan Henderson Papamoa
Surf Life Saving Nikki Cox Hamilton
Surf Life Saving Steven Ferguson Takapuna, Auckland
Swimming Alison Fitch North Shore
Swimming Cameron Gibson Albany, Auckland
Swimming Dean Kent Albany, Auckland
Swimming Hannah McLean Herne Bay, Auckland
Swimming Helen Norfolk Albany, Auckland
Swimming Lauren Boyle Whenuapai, Auckland
Swimming Melissa Ingram Albany, Auckland
Swimming Moss Burmester North Shore
Synchronised Swimming Lisa Daniels Dunedin
Synchronised Swimming Nina Daniels Dunedin
Triathlon Andrea Hewitt Christchurch
Triathlon Bevan Docherty Taupo or Auckland
Triathlon Cameron Brown Howick, Auckland
Triathlon Rebecca Spence Northcote, Auckland
Triathlon Samantha Warriner Whangarei
Water Ski Andrea Fountain Glendowie, Auckland
Water Ski Jeff Weatherall AUSTRALIA
Weightlifting Keisha-Dean Soffe Waitara
Yachting Andrew Murdoch Mt Albert, Auckland
Yachting Ashley Holtum Russell, Bay of Plenty
Yachting Blair McLay North Shore
Yachting Cushla Hume-Merry Wellington
Yachting Raynor Smeal Kingsland, Auckland
Yachting Sharon Ferris Russell, Bay of Islands

Teams

Basketball Tall Blacks
Basketball Tall Ferns
Netball New Zealand U21 Netball Team
Netball Silver Ferns
Rugby New Zealand Sevens Team

ENDS

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