NZ Police Association Sportsperson of the Year

World Champion Surf Skier Named NZ Police Association Sportsperson of the Year

Constable Rachel Clarke has been named the New Zealand Police Association Sportsperson of the Year for 2014. The 25-year-old police constable from North Shore has been riding a wave of success on the international surf ski scene. After two World Series races, Rachel is ranked first in the world, a good start to achieving her ultimate goal of winning the 2015 World Surf Ski series.

The ability to catch, surf and connect runners, or ocean swells, for long distances earned Rachel four major international long-distance race wins last year, including the prestigious Molokai Championships in Hawaii. Unofficially considered the world champs of the sport, the gruelling 53-kilometre paddle from Molokai to Oahu attracts the world’s most experienced paddlers.

It wasn’t until she was off the water and heading to the finish line that Rachel had any idea she was in the lead or that she was about to claim a victory that only one other Kiwi had managed in Molokai’s 39-year history. For Rachel, with blistered hands and suffering from dehydration, pushing through to win was the greatest feeling.

Rachel brings that same mental toughness and determination to the challenges of combining a top-level sporting career with her public safety work at the North Shore Policing Centre. Described as a dedicated, hard working officer and committed competitor who manages a gruelling training schedule around her frontline shifts, Rachel is not one to boast about her successes - word of how well she does at competitions is spread by proud colleagues.

Police Association President Greg O’Connor will present Rachel with her award at the North Shore Policing Centre on Tuesday, June 23, as an acknowledgement of all the work she has put in to achieving her goals. “Police all feel a bit of pride when we see one of our own not only achieving internationally, but showing such guts and determination in doing so.”

“The sheer hard work and personal sacrifices she makes earns her great respect from her colleagues and Rachel's fellow athletes, along with the wider community, can only be left with a very positive view of Police as a result of her achievements,” he said.

Rachel’s 2014 achievements also include winning New Zealand’s premier ocean paddling race, 25km King and Queen of the Harbour in Auckland (which she won again this year for the third consecutive year); Perth’s 29km downwind race The Doctor, where she had so much fun chasing down runners she forgot she was even racing; and Sydney’s classic 20 Beaches race where she had to battle five-metre swells.

With overall success in the 2015 World Surf Ski series set squarely in her sights, Rachel heads off to compete in the North American Downwind Champs in Hood River, Oregon, and the US champs in San Francisco next month.

ENDS

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