Carrington claims top honour at Māori Sports Awards
The country’s most successful Olympian, Dame Lisa Carrington, has capped off an exceptional year by triumphing at the ACC-supported Māori Sports Awards.
The world champion sprint kayaker – affiliated to Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki and Ngāti Porou – was crowned the Albie Pryor Memorial Māori Sports Person of the Year for the seventh time.
The accolade recognises Dame Lisa’s outstanding year, in which she claimed three gold medals at the Paris Olympics (K4, K2, K1), taking her total Olympic haul to a staggering nine medals, eight of which are gold.
In October, she became the first New Zealander to win one of the highest honours in the Olympic movement, the Outstanding Sporting Career Award.
A record number of Māori Olympians at Paris 2024, including 10 sportswomen who won gold medals, were celebrated at the Māori Sports Awards, hosted by Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa Charitable Trust at Mercury Baypark Arena in Mount Maunganui.
The first New Zealander to play American football professionally in the United States and the first to win a Super Bowl, Riki Ellison (Ngāi Tahu), was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame.
International hockey umpire Amber Church (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki), who officiated at her third consecutive Olympic Games this year, won Māori Sports Umpire/Referee of the Year for the second time.
Maia Davis won Junior Māori Sportswoman of the Year.
Auckland City Football Club general manager Gordon Glen-Watson (Ngāpuhi) was crowned Māori Sports Administrator of the Year while Cory Sweeney (Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara) took out Māori Sports Coach of the Year after leading the New Zealand Women’s Sevens team to a gold medal win at the Paris Olympics.
The Māori Para Athlete of the Year went to Para va’a specialist Peter Cowan (Ngāti Kahungunu), who won a brilliant bronze medal in the VL3 200m on his Paralympic Games debut this year.
Rugby, rugby league and rugby sevens high achiever Maia Davis (Ngāti Hineuru, Taranaki) was presented with the Junior Māori Sportswoman of the Year title, as well as a Māori Education Trust scholarship.
Junior Māori Sportsman of the Year, New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team captain Charlie Sinton (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa), also received a Skills Active Aotearoa Māori Sports Awards scholarship.
All Blacks vice-captain and Crusaders veteran Codie Taylor (Muaūpoko, Ngāti Raukawa) was named Senior Māori Sportsman of the Year.
Dame Lisa Carrington headed off an elite group of athletes to win Senior Māori Sportswoman of the Year before clinching the supreme award named in honour of the event’s founder, Albie Pryor (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Rangitihi, Tūhoe).
Peter Cowan won Māori Para Athlete of the Year.
Raising awareness of ACC services
ACC has been a partner of the Māori Sports Awards for the past 20 years.
Andy Milne, Deputy Chief Executive of Strategy, Engagement and Prevention, says it’s an honour to celebrate Māori achievement in sport.
“Māori athletes provide a huge and valuable contribution to our sporting nation,” he says.
“They’re positive role models for our rangatahi, tamariki and mokopuna to get active and become involved in sport.”
Our research shows Māori are more likely to experience a serious injury than non-Māori but are less likely to make an injury claim.
Māori clients generally account for 12.5 per cent of new claims volumes annually but account for 16.7 per cent of the population.
“We’re focused on ensuring Māori are aware of the support they’re entitled to following an injury,” Andy says.
“Events like the Māori Sports Awards help us to raise awareness and build understanding around ACC services that improve access and health outcomes for Māori.
“If you’ve had an accident and have an injury, no matter how big, don’t tough it out – taihoa ake and get help. ACC is here for you and your whānau to help you recover and get you back doing what you love.”
Check out the full list of winners at the 34th Trillian Trust Māori Sports Awards on the awards website.
