Athletics great John Walker is New Zealand’s first knight under the new royal warrant that restores knighthoods in the Queen’s Birthday honours after a nine-year absence.
Sir John, who won 1500m gold at the Montreal Olympics, is appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) in today’s honours which include two new dames – art patron Jenny Gibbs and educationalist Iritana Tawhiwhirangi.
The Government announced in March that titles, dropped by the Labour government in 2000, would be reinstated to the honours system and 85 New Zealanders who have been appointed Principal and Distinguished Companions could opt to become knights or dames by the end of June.
Sir John, previously honoured as Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992, is honoured for services to sport and the community.
After an athletics career that included being the first person to break 3 minutes 50 seconds for the mile and to run more than 100 sub-four minute miles, he was diagnosed with parkinson’s disease in the early 1990s.
But he has continued to be involved with sport and the community, serving on Manukau City Council since 1998. Last year he established the Find Your Field of Dreams Project in Manukau to help young people participate in sport.
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