News

Surf Life Saving New Zealand announces finalists for its national Awards of Excellence 2019

Wednesday, 18 September 2019

Heroic lifeguards, selfless volunteers, and world champion athletes are among the contenders for this year’s Surf Life Saving NZ Awards of Excellence, which will be held at Te Papa, on Saturday 21 September.

The awards mark the top achievements, innovations and efforts made by club members in a range of roles, including DHL Volunteer of the Year, TSB International Performance of the Year and NZ Lottery Grants Board Lifeguard of the Year.

Throughout the country 18,832 members, including 4,903 lifeguards, have kept our clubs running strongly, our call-out squads responding, and our patrollers on beaches during summer.

In the 2018/19 year our lifeguards saved 702 people from life-threatening situations – that’s a group of people who might not have made it home, who would make up about 10 percent of a town like Thames, Otaki or Lincoln.

In the SLS year (July 1 to June 30) our lifeguards assisted 1,622 people to safety from dangerous situations, took part in 381 searches, provided first aid 2,578 times, and took preventative action to keep people safe on the beach 118,307 times.

Local Awards of Excellence are held throughout the country in the lead-up to the annual Awards, with most awards nominated locally, and winners then becoming finalists for the National Awards of Excellence.

SLSNZ Senior Executive Matt Warren says it has been impressive to read the achievements of the local award-winners throughout the country. 

“We have some incredible talents in our clubs who are achieving amazing things, and so many people behind the scenes putting in huge volunteer efforts to run the lifesaving services that our clubs provide across the country.

“There were outstanding rescues in the BP Rescue of the Year category, where lives have been saved because of lifeguards heroic actions, and the hard-earned skills they have put to use, often in incredibly difficult situations.” 

The stories behind the BP Rescue of the Month winners, who are the contenders, can be found here.

“We will also celebrate a range of exciting new innovations developed by our club members during the year, as we keep adding improvements to our organisation,” Warren says.

“These people, and these efforts are what keeps driving us forward as an organisation to be able to keep rescuing people when they need us most. ” 

The 2019 Surf Life Saving New Zealand Awards of Excellence will take place at Te Papa, in Wellington, on Saturday, 21 September.


Surf Life Saving NZ national Awards of Excellence finalists:

DHL Volunteer of the Year:

Joanne Hobson – Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service, Northern Region

Rachelle Bright – Whangamata SLSC, Coromandel Area

Andrew McDowell – Pukehina Surf Rescue, Bay of Plenty Area

Anna Thorpe – Wainui SLSC, Gisborne Area

Leah Cooper – Pacific SLSC, Hawke’s Bay Area

Trent Oliver – Opunake SLSC, Taranaki Area

Amy Spiekerman – Paekakariki Surf Lifeguards, Capital Coast Area

Tom Denman – Sumner SLSC, Canterbury Area

Isaac Davies - St Clair SLSC, Dunedin Area

 

DHL Innovation of the Year: 

Education Tour – Waipu Cove SLSC, Northern Region

Wahine on the Water – Coromandel Area

Vivien Conway - Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service, Bay of Plenty Area

Gisborne Patrol Relief Group - Gisborne Area

Taranaki Rescue Squad – Taranaki Area

Otaki – Capital Coast Area

 

NZ Lotteries Grant Board Lifeguard of the Year:

Guy Hornblow – Kariaotahi SLSC, Northern Region

James Lloyd – Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services, Coromandel Area

Haven Bellamy – Omanu SLSC, Bay of Plenty Area

Sonia Keepa – Wainui SLSC, Gisborne Area

Simon Kay – Pacific SLSC, Hawke’s Bay

Michael Debique – Opunake SLSC, Taranaki Area

Elizabeth Baty - Palmerston North SLSC, Capital Coast Area

Dean Le Warne - North Beach SLSC, Canterbury Area

Abe MacCormick - St Kilda SLSC, Otago Area

 

DHL Instructor of the Year:

Grace Campbell – Mairangi Bay SLSC, Northern Region

Hamish Clayton – Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services, Coromandel Area

Ryan Hohneck – Papamoa SLSC, Bay of Plenty Area

Kerehama Blackman – Tologa Bay SLSC, Gisborne Area

Jason Broome – Waimarama SLSC, Hawke’s Bay Area

Anna Beavis – Fitzroy SLSC, Taranaki Area

Tessa Bruin – Worser Bay SLSC, Capital Coast Area

Kate Suter – Sumner SLSC, Canterbury Area

Dylan Crawford - St Clair SLSC, Otago Area

 

TSB Surf Official of the Year:

Glenn Phipps – Mairangi Bay SLSC, Northern Region

Jo Miller – Papamoa SLSC, Bay of Plenty Area

Debbie Hutchings – Waikanae SLSC, Gisborne Area

Sarnia Brewer – Westshore SLSC, Hawke’s Bay Area

Vaughan Garrett – New Plymouth Old Boys SLSC, Taranaki Area

Teri Anderson – Paekakariki Surf Lifeguards, Capital Coast Area

Mike Smith - Taylors Mistake SLSC, Canterbury Area

Kate Jerram - St Kilda SLSC, Otago Area

 

TSB Surf Coach of the Year:

Shane Edwards – Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service, Northern Region

John Bryant – Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service, Bay of Plenty Area

Dion Williams – Wainui SLSC, Gisborne Area

Greg Larsen – Ocean Beach Kiwi SLSC, Hawke’s Bay Area

Joel Meuli - East End SLSC, Taranaki Area

Wayne Wickens – Maranui SLSC, Capital Coast Area

Jonelle Quane – Sumner SLSC, Canterbury Area

Isaac Davies - St Clair SLSC, Otago Area

 

National Awards to be presented:

Life Membership Award

Distinguished Service Award

Service Award

50 Year Badge


National annual awards to be presented:

TSB International Performance of the Year (finalists are not announced for this award).

BP Rescue of the Year (monthly winners become national finalists).

Gudsell Trophy (given to the club with the highest total number of Surf Lifeguard Awards gained – this is the qualification to become a lifeguard).

London Trophy (given to the club with the most Surf Lifeguard Awards gained, proportional to the club’s size).

Ends

 

For Surf Life Saving NZ file photos available to use please click here.

For more information, please contact:
Matt Warren, Surf Life Saving New Zealand Senior Executive
Phone 027 475 7323 or email matt.warren@surflifesaving.org.nz

Rajal Middleton,  Surf Life Saving New Zealand Head of Commercial and Marketing
Phone 027 457 1001, or email rajal.middleton@surflifesaving.org.nz