Yvette Williams (nee Corlett), had not only represented New Zealand at an Olympics but had made history as the first New Zealand woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
In the New Years Honours her many athletic achievements were recognised when she was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, New Zealand's second highest royal honour.
Her gold medal success in the long jump at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games set the standard for New Zealand women in sport. She was the trailblazer.
But her many successes, including four Commonwealth Games gold medals, all with Games' records, in addition to her Olympic gold, did not come easily. In 1952, there were no sponsorships or government assistance as there are today. Corlett trained three times a day in addition to working a 40 hour week in the depths of winter preparing for the Helsinki Olympics. She even had to buy the material and make her own shorts to represent her country at those Games.
During her eight-year athletics career, Corlett won 21 New Zealand titles, set 27 New Zealand records and broke the world long jump record in Gisborne in 1954. She also played basketball for New Zealand and netball for Otago and the South Island.
Twice winner of the New Zealand Sportsman of the Year Award - now the Supreme Halberg Award - Corlett was also named New Zealand sportsperson of the decade, from 1950 to 1959.
Yvette has made a substantial contribution to the community over the past 50 years.
She organised a campaign in the mid 1950s which raised many thousands of pounds for the new YMCA facility in central Auckland.
Shortly after moving to live in Pakuranga in 1961, Yvette joined the Panmure Athletic Club as a coach, coaching a group of teenage athletes for five years, several of whom represented Auckland at the New Zealand championships. In early 1967 Yvette instigated the forming of an athletic club in Pakuranga. Yvette founded the Pakuranga Athletic Club in October 1967. The recently completed all weather track at Lloyd Elsmore Park has been named in her honour. She has served on the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fames Board of Governors from 1990 to 1995. Was Patron of Athletics New Zealand for four years, 2003 to 2006 and has served as Patron of Counties Manukau for the last 17 years.
Yvette was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
Yvette taught Physical Education for 15 years, firstly at Otahuhu College for two years and then at Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland, one of her pupils being Sarah Ulmer, Olympic cycling Gold Medallist and world record holder.
Other Olympians honoured include:
Ryan Nelsen, Cheshire, Britain, for services to football.
Commonwealth Games Representative honoured include:
Shelley Celia Kitchen, Auckland, for services to sport.
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