King's Honours: From rider to wheelie to dame

Newsroom

2 days ago

Dame Catriona Williams has hand-cycled thousands of kilometres – on the streets of New York, the slopes of Mt Everest, and through a British snowstorm. She's sat in the winner's circle at some of Australasia's grandest horse races. And she's raised millions of dollars through her CatWalk charity.
Yet she would trade it all in a heartbeat to dance with her husband, Sam, on her own two feet again. It's a dream that for now remains out of reach, but one that Williams (who refers to herself as a 'wheelie') continues to pursue – for others as much as herself.
'The target is getting that wheelie back on their feet, getting bowel and bladder control – all those things that an able-bodied person takes for granted. Things that would change our world,' says Williams, who's become a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the latest King's Birthday Honours.
It's 22 years since a fall from her horse in a competition in Waikato shattered the outstanding equestrian rider's world, breaking her neck and leaving her a C6-7 tetraplegic. And 20 years since she created the CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust, to find a cure for paralysis.
'What I've noticed is that as you get older, being in the chair gets harder,' says Williams, now 53.
'I've spent 22 years in the chair, and had a lot of fun on cycles around the world, for fundraisers and with friends. But the end goal is getting function back.'
A passionate competitor, who rode at Badminton and Burghley and was aiming for the 2004 Athens Olympics before her accident, Williams has never been one to sit idle. She helps her husband run their Little Avondale thoroughbred stud in the Wairarapa, which has produced a string of Group 1 winning racehorses.
She does long charity rides in a hand-cycle: the New York Marathon, Everest Base Camp and late last year, rode 1100km from Scotland to London – during the powerful Storm Bert – to support spinal research in Britian. She's an inspirational speaker, and helps people new to life in a wheelchair.
Williams' own charity continues to make strides. CatWalk is just 18 months into a five-year campaign to raise $10.5 million – and it's already reached $7.5 million. 'We're well ahead of our target, but the sooner we can achieve it, we can start focusing on the next goal, which is clinical trials,' Williams says. 'And trials mean real results.'
Receiving the damehood, she says, highlights the work her team has done over the past two decades to support local research into spinal cord injuries – and recalls a conversation she once had with Olympic gold medallist Blyth Tait.
'He said, 'Catriona, it's one thing to start these things, but another to keep them going',' she says. 'And that's clearly not done by one girl in a wheelchair whose legs don't move. We have an incredible team who do the nuts and bolts – my role is definitely the flagbearer.'
Catriona Williams receives her MNZM insignia in 2014 from then Governor-General, Jerry Mataparae.
Williams, who was made a Member of the NZ Order of Merit in 2014, was aiming to keep her damehood a secret from her husband until this morning when the list came out. 'He's a very special person in my life, and every now and again, a surprise is good,' she says. Sam recently went through treatment for throat cancer, 'but he's out the other side now'.
She's planning more cycling challenges around New Zealand. And she continues to follow her sport – whether it's the New Zealand equestrian riders on the world stage, or proudly watching her two nieces, who've also taken up competitive pony riding.
'It's about turning up, clapping and telling them how clever they are at this stage,' she says, 'because keeping it fun is key.'
Here are 11 other women in sport on the 2025 King's Birthday Honours list:
Order of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM)
Sophie Devine: for services to cricket
The White Ferns captain and world champion, Devine has been an international cricketer since in 2006; at 17, she was one of the youngest-ever White Ferns. One of the most dominant players in world cricket, the swashbuckling allrounder took on the captaincy in 2020, and led the side through the 2022 World Cup at home, then to a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games that year.
Last year she experienced the biggest moment of her career, leading the team to victory at the T20 World Cup for the first time. She holds a string of world cricket records, including the fastest 50 – from 18 balls – in T20 internationals.
What people often forget is Devine was also a Black Stick – playing 36 hockey tests between 2009-12.
Patria Hume: for services to sports science and injury prevention
Professor Hume represented New Zealand in rhythmic gymnastics at world championships, before becoming an international coach and judge in the sport. She then established SportSmart in 1999 – a nationwide sports injury prevention programme for ACC – which was later developed into NetballSmart and RugbySmart. For 25 years, she's been lead reviewer of SportSmart.
Hume was the inaugural director of the Sports Performance Research Institute of NZ (SPRINZ) from 2000 to 2009, and led the Global Rugby Health Research programme in 2015, resulting in improved concussion injury awareness around the globe. Through her multiple innovations in sports research, she won the Geoffrey Dyson Award from the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports in 2016.
She has also served on the boards of numerous sports organisations, like Drug Free Sport NZ and Sport Medicine NZ.
Sarah Walker during the opening of the Otane Primary School bike track in 2021.
Sarah Walker: for services to BMX and sports governance
After a hugely successful career as a BMX rider, Walker now represents New Zealand on the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
A 12-time BMX world champion medallist – including two world titles in 2007 and 2009 – she became New Zealand's first Olympic medallist in the sport, collecting silver at the London 2012 Games. She's mentored many young BMX riders to success offshore.
She first got into governance on the IOC Athletes Commission in 2016; as chair of the IOC Steering Committee, she drove the creation of the Athletes' Rights and Responsibilities Declaration. Chairing the IOC AI Working Group, she's also led the creation of the Olympic AI Agenda. She became an Independent IOC member in 2024.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe: for services to rugby
A little over a week ago, Woodman-Wickliffe before the top try scorer in Black Ferns 15s history. She was already the top scorer in women's Sevens history. She is rightly considered the GOAT of women's rugby.
A netballer with the Mystics, she entered the Go4Gold programme to find New Zealand's top sevens players for the 2016 Rio Olympics. She made the team in 2012, and played a vital role until she retired in 2024. She has won two Olympic golds and one silver, and was crowned World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Decade in 2020. She also helped the Black Ferns win two World Cups in the 15s games, and has come out of retirement to play at this year's World Cup.
She has promoted gender equality in sport, encouraged more investment and resources in women's rugby, and provides mentorship and training to young female players.
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)
Ellesse Andrews: for services to cycling
Four-time Olympic medallist and world champion Andrews has already achieved so much on and off the cycling track in her 25 years. Since setting a world record at the 2017 junior track world championships, she's won three golds and a silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and two golds and two silver at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics combined (which makes her New Zealand's sixth most successful Olympian). In 2023 she became the first New Zealand female sprinter to a win a world title.
Through her role in the Athlete Leaders Group, she's been an important advocate for teammates, and a key driver of applying tikanga Māori to Cycling NZ's programme.
Gold medalist Ellesse Andrews after the women's keirin final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Lesley Huckins: for services to swimming
Huckins has pioneered pathways for women in national and international swimming. The first New Zealand female referee at international level, she has officiated at three Olympics and multiple world championships. During her time as president of Swimming NZ, she spearheaded a period of change in the sport. A dedicated volunteer in Christchurch for over 50 years, she's been a swimming teacher, coach and club committee member.
Laurinne Laing: for services to sport and people with intellectual disabilities
For 35 years, Laing has volunteered 30 to 40 hours a week at the Special Olympics Howick-Pakuranga club. She has been a sports coordinator, fundraiser and athlete recruiter, as well as guiding athletes and their families. She's served as the club's chair since 2007 and supports other chairs around the country on how to run their clubs. She's also deputy chair of the Special Olympics Upper North Island regional trust.
Pauline-Jean Luyten: for services to rugby and the Pacific community
A legal professional in Timaru, Luyten has been heavily involved in governance in national and provincial rugby, with a strong influence on Pasifika. She was the first Pacific woman appointed to the South Canterbury union board, and in 2022, the first Pacific woman appointed to the NZ Rugby Board, as an emerging director.
She led the development of NZ Rugby's 2024 Pasifika Rugby Strategy to attract and support more Pacific participation in rugby in New Zealand. Luyten is also a peer mentor for NZR's Women in Rugby Governance programme.
Suzanne McFadden: for services to sports journalism and women
LockerRoom's founding editor, McFadden has been writing on sport for four decades; the author of two sports books, she was NZ Sports Journalist of the Year in 2021. Her proudest achievement since LockerRoom began in 2018 has been introducing more female voices to sports journalism, including mentoring young writers Ashley Stanley and Merryn Anderson through two-year scholarships.
Veronica (Ronnie) Thompson: for services to basketball
A Tall Fern in the 1980s, Thompson has contributed to basketball in New Zealand for 40 years, as a player, coach and administrator. Having played US college basketball, she represented New Zealand from 1985-88, and captained Wellington team Morehu to a women's national club championship title.
She's coached girls and women at all levels, and was an assistant coach of the NZ Basketball Institute, and led Wellington Swish to the 2001 WNBL Championship title. She became a foundation board member of Māori Basketball Aotearoa in 2013 and has held various leadership roles in Wellington Basketball. She was key to developing Sport NZ frameworks to increase Māori participation and leadership in sport and recreation.
The Kings Service Medal (KSM)
Lily Coleman: for services to the community and sport
Coleman and her husband, John, are Kaikohe farmers who have given almost 60 years of voluntary service to their community. Since 1970, she's held various roles with the Kaikohe Athletics and Harriers clubs; she was an official at the NZ Colgate Games; and has fundraised for athletes to compete at all levels. She has also been a swimming coach at the Kaikohe club, where she was secretary and treasurer.