NSWOC: The NSW Olympic Council has acknowledged two outstanding individuals, Peter Hadfield OAM and Peter Kerr AM, with an Order of Merit awarded at Wednesday’s Annual General Meeting.
The Order of Merit is presented to individuals who have achieved remarkable merit in the sporting world, either through personal achievement or contribution to the development of sport. Nominations for the Order of Merit are received from the Executive and member sports, with no more than two awards given in any one year.
NSW Olympic Council president, Helen Brownlee said that both Peter Hadfield and Peter Kerr were outstanding candidates for the award in 2018.
“Both awardees are worthy recipients and come from an impressive background of high level sport participation –Peter Hadfield in Decathlon and Peter Kerr in Water Polo, as well as providing ongoing support for the activities of the NSW Olympic Council through education and fundraising programs,” Brownlee said.
Peter Hadfield receives the award after having dedicated much of his life to his sport of Decathlon and the Olympic movement for four decades.
In addition, Hadfield was President of the NSW Olympians Club for 13 years (2005 – 2017), a member of the NSW Olympic Council Executive during that period and a media commentator for seven Olympic Games.
Hadfield said it is a wonderful honour to have been recognised by the NSW Olympic Council for an Order of Merit.
“My dream as a teenager was to represent Australia at an Olympic Games, which I was able to achieve on two occasions in 1980 and 1984,” Hadfield said.
“I have been most privileged to have covered seven Olympics for the Australian media but more importantly I have been delighted to have been able to spread the ideals of Olympism to young Australians.
“I would like to recognise the support of my wife Marilyn and my three children Paul, Mark and Casey over these many years,” Hadfield said, commenting that he wishes to continue his involvement with the Olympic family for many years to come.
Peter Kerr is best known for his contribution to national and international Water Polo as a player, coach, technical official and administrator.
He has chaired a number of sporting appeals tribunals, is a respected member of the FINA Doping Panel (since 2000), and was given the honour of presenting the Judges Oath at the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
“I am very honoured to receive this award,” Kerr said.
“I have been involved in the Olympic movement for much of my life and to receive such recognition from the NSW Olympic Council is truly humbling. I hope that the Australian Olympic Committee and its state councils continue to build a movement within our country that supports our athletes and sports to the highest level, that is something we can all be proud of.”
Kerr and Hadfield join a group of 37 awardees who have been recognised by the NSW Olympic Council “as being legends in their own right, either through long-term voluntary leadership and/or administration of their respective sports, or their contribution to fundraising for Olympic Teams,” according to Helen Brownlee.
“In many ways, their achievements provide the backbone for sport in NSW, and we are indebted to them.”
For more information on NSWOC Life members and Order of Merit awardees, see HERE.
Ashleigh Knight
olympics.com.au