As a key sponsor of the Halberg Foundation (the Foundation), we would like to express our warmest congratulations to the winners of the ISPS Handa Halberg Awards Decade Champion. Named after Olympic champion Sir Murray Halberg (ONZ), the Halberg Awards is the country's pre-eminent event to honour and celebrate New Zealand sporting excellence over the last decade by New Zealand athletes, teams and coaches. The award winners were announced at a gala dinner on Wednesday 24 March at Spark Arena and broadcast live on Sky Sport.
The Buddle Findlay Coach of the Decade award was presented to canoe coach Gordon Walker, who led Lisa Carrington to become the first New Zealand female to win multiple medals at a single Olympics in Rio in 2016. Walker also coached four boats to win gold at the 2017 Canoe Sprint World Championships and Carrington to her gold medal in the K1 200m at the same event. He also coached the New Zealand’s women’s team to five medals at the 2018 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Portugal and Carrington to win the K1 200m.
Walker is pictured below with partners Lisette Hood and Sherridan Cook.
Finalists for the award included all previous winners of the Coach of the Year award from the last decade:
- Ricki Herbert 2010 (football)
- Sir Graham Henry 2011 (rugby)
- Richard (Dick) Tonks 2012 (rowing)
- Sir Steve Hansen 2013 and 2015 (rugby)
- Anthony Peden 2014 (cycling)
- Gordon Walker 2016, 2017 and 2018 (canoe racing)
- Dame Noeline Taurua 2019 (netball).
The rowing pair of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray were named the supreme Halberg Award Decade Champions for their triumphs in the decade from 2010 to 2019 including winning back-to-back gold medals at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016 and claiming the world best times in two boat classes, the men’s pair and men’s coxed pair.
Buddle Findlay prides itself on its involvement in the community and this year marks five years of support and partnership with the Foundation. The Foundation was founded by Sir Murray Halberg on the belief that all people, regardless of their ability, should have equal opportunity to enhance their lives through sport and recreation. Since 1963, the Foundation has worked hard to make Sir Murray's vision a reality for physically disabled New Zealanders.
Find out more about the Halberg Foundation on their website.