Paralympian #183 Holly Robinson has been appointed Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the Queen’s Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours List 2022. The appointment recognises her services to athletics.
“It’s an honour to be appointed Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to athletics. I am a proud Paralympian and I do my sport because I love it. I was over the moon to find out about my appointment. Something like this doesn’t cross your mind when doing what I do so it’s a wonderful surprise.”
Paralympian Holly Robinson MNZM
Holly, who won gold at the Tokyo 2022 Paralympic Games, competes in javelin in the F46 classification. She has represented New Zealand in Para athletics since 2011, in that time winning a host of medals and awards.
Holly is currently in Australia to represent New Zealand at the 2022 Oceania Athletics Championships (7-11 June, Mackay, Queensland).
Holly’s achievements in Para athletics
Holly competed in her first IPC Athletics World Championship in 2011. She was then selected for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, winning 7th place in the women’s javelin F46. She competed in two IPC Athletics World Championships in 2013 and 2015, winning silver and bronze respectively. At the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Holly was flag bearer and won silver in the women’s javelin F46 event. She has won three silver medals at the 2017 and 2019 World Para Athletics Championships and the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She achieved her goal of the gold medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. In 2021, she became the first Para athlete to win a medal in an open event at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships, winning silver in javelin.
Honours and awards for Holly
Before today’s appointment as Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Holly has been recognised in several awards. These include being named Māori Sportsperson with a Disability at the Māori Sports Award Gala in 2017. At the Athletics Otago Sports Awards in 2020 Holly was named Otago Athlete of the Year. In 2021, she became the global winner of The Visa Award for her moment of gratitude at Tokyo 2020. Thanking the officials following her javelin victory captured the admiration of fans and they showed their support by voting.
The New Zealand Royal Honours List is a way for New Zealand to say thanks and well done to those who have served and those who have achieved. Honours lists are issued on the occasion of the New Year (30/31 December), and the New Zealand observance of The Queen’s Birthday (first Monday in June).
About Holly
Holly was born in Hokitika, on the South Island’s West Coast. She is of Ngāi Tahu descent. Holly now lives in Dunedin where she trains with coach Raylene Bates. She has a single congenital limb deficiency. See Holly’s Paralympian profile.
Interested to know more about Holly? This 2:28 minute video by Attitude TV is well worth a watch.
