Lawrence Area School
Name: Anna Harrex
Volunteer roles: Coach of Lawrence year 5-6 netball for four years, Tuapeka Swim Club instructor for two summers, church youth programme leader for six years.
Role models: My four grandparents. I feel so fortunate to have grown up with all four of my grandparents, who have been a key part of my life. They are so kind, loving, generous, and supportive and I am very grateful for them.
Their story: Harrex has recently been awarded the youth spirit award at the Clutha service awards. It is awarded to someone who has greatly contributed to their school and community during their time as a student.
Dunstan High School
Name: Nic Kelly
Volunteer roles: Kelly has coached the school senior A netball and junior teams throughout New Zealand, coached representatives teams, and coached the Mainland national netball league side.
Number of years involved: Kelly has been coaching since high school and through her post-graduate studies.
Their story: Kelly enjoys watching her students, and the individuals she is working with come together to build and become a team. She enjoys seeing players grow into leaders and captains of her teams. Kelly has coached players who have gone on to progress in their netball careers, including former Silver Ferns Shannon Saunders and Katarina Cooper.
Bayfield High School
Name: Marnie Green
Volunteer roles: Senior A girls volleyball coach, senior A girls volleyball manager, senior A netball manager, friends of Bayfield member, fundraising super star, school athletics day volunteer, all-round legend.
Number of years involved: Green began volunteering at Bayfield when her son, Ben, started school in 2015 and has been heavily involved since.
Despite daughters Abby and Emma graduating in 2021 and 2023 respectively, we are lucky to still have Green on board coaching our senior A volleyball team. Calculating Green’s voluntary hours would be impossible, it would easily be in the thousands.
Their story: While Green has been heavily involved in volunteering across Bayfield, it is volleyball where she has made her mark. Initially as an assistant coach and manager, Green took over the reins at the start of 2022 and has built on the team's success ever since, finishing the 2024 season with a long-coveted Otago Secondary Schools Championship win and a first place finish at the South Island satellite tournament in Christchurch. We are eternally grateful to Green for her unmatchable commitment to our school's volleyball programme and the legacy that she will have left when she hangs up her whistle.
Kaikorai Valley College
Name: Sharolyn Isaacs
Kaikorai Valley College is very fortunate to have Sharolyn Isaacs, a teacher aide at the school, who for several years, has devoted hours each week to netball. From coaching, supervising, umpiring when required, transporting players and student coaches to games, Isaacs puts in hours of time to the game she loves. Players love the big container of lollies which comes out at quarter time in all the games. Her hours include Tuesday morning training with the senior team, Wednesday afternoon training with the juniors and and then supervising the year 7 and 8 games on a Thursday for up to three hours and Saturdays for over two hours. Four days of the week, Isaacs is busy with netball. We would like to acknowledge the huge hours Isaacs puts into Kaikorai Valley netball and let her know how much we appreciate all she does.
East Otago High School
Names: Jim Blair and Noni Callander
Every year Blair and Callander spend hours at school encouraging and upskilling students in all athletics events. They also support the students at the South Island secondary schools athletics each year. East Otago is extremely lucky to have such passionate, and skilful, coaches who give their time freely to encourage and mentor the students to try their best or take up a new sport. Both Blair and Callander compete internationally, Blair competing at the world masters indoor track and field championships in Poland last year, winning three golds and two silvers. He also broke two national indoor records in the weighted throw and shot put.
