Valerie Vili Sportswoman and Halberg Supreme Award winner for 2009
Valerie Vili was named Sportswoman of the year for the fourth year in a row and collected the coveted Supreme Award for the third consecutive year at the prestigious Halberg Awards dinner in Auckland last evening.
The twice world shot put champion and Olympic and Commonwealth champion said that she felt real humble to be up against so many awesome athletes in the country.
“This last season was a tough one mentally, physically and emotionally but we managed to get through and hope that there will be many more seasons to come,” she said.
The number one in the world said that to win the Supreme Award for the last three years was a real honour.
“It has been a fantastic night for athletics with Allison Roe and Barry Magee being inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. It was all about rowing and athletics tonight so I’m happy to come out on top and support our sport and also take away that trophy.”
Asked if the next decade could be hers Vili said that she will keep going for as long as possible and see what happens.
Vili was a finalist for athlete of the last decade, which went to Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell.
In both acceptance speeches Vili paid a tribute to her coach Kirsten Hellier.
“It’s been an awesome journey, you’ve been my coach for 11 years, you’re my coach of the year, you’re my coach of the decade, you’re my coach for ever and ever and I hope that our journey will continue,” she said.
“My coach and I have been like an untold marriage – we spend more time with each other than we do our own husbands – I don’t know if that is good or bad. You’re an awesome woman and I so value the time that you give and put into me as an athlete and also to the other throwers who are coming up,” said Vili.
Vili also thanked the public of New Zealand.
“Your support is fantastic without your support we wouldn’t do what we do. I do my sport for love and nothing else and if I did it for something else I’d be out of this country.”
Meanwhile the authoritative American magazine Track & Field News has named Vili number three, up from number nine in 2008, in their top 10 women for 2009. Vili was also voted number one in the shot put for the fourth consecutive year. In the top athletes of the decade the magazine has named Vili number ten.
Vili’s first competition of the season will be at the Porritt Classic in Hamilton on Saturday 13 February.
“I’m looking forward to Porritt Classic, the first competition is always quite exciting because you want to see where you are, got a girl there from France who’s going to also be competing. So I’m looking forward to a good throw and a good start to the season,” said Vili.
Allison Roe and Barry Magee inducted into the NZ Sports Hall of Fame
Allison Roe
Roe was one of the leading marathon and road runners in the world in the early 1980s. She won both the Boston and New York marathons in 1981. Roe won numerous events on the road and was a member of the celebrated New Zealand trio with Lorraine Moller and Anne Audain that changed the face of women’s road running in the United States. She also competed for New Zealand at the world cross country championships and was voted Sportsperson of the Year in 1981.
Roe said that she felt very honoured.
“I would like to acknowledge my coach at the time Gary Elliott – he made a difference, he was the one that helped me to believe in my dreams and to achieve whatever I wanted to achieve.”
Barry Magee
On a dark night in Rome in 1960 he chased home an Ethiopian and a Moroccan for the Bronze medal in the marathon at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.
His running accolades also include wins and places in some of the top marathons in the world as well as over 5000m and 10,000m on the track. He was part of New Zealand’s 4 x 1mile world record breaking relay team in 1961. Nationally he won 7 New Zealand titles.
He retired from international running in 1964 after attending two Olympic and two Commonwealth Games and took up coaching in 1965.
Magee said that it was a great honour.
“I feel very humbled – part of my old mates are here tonight so it’s a great night. I would like to pay a tribute to Arthur Lydiard who gave us so much and gave us the great training that made it all happen.”