Former World Athletics discus champion Beatrice Faumuina has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to sport and governance. Faumuina became a household name in the 1990s, winning silver at the 1994 Commonwealth Games before winning a gold medal at the 1997 World Athletics Championships – a first for a New Zealander. Over her athletics career, she claimed back-to-back Commonwealth Games golds in 1998 and 2002 and competed at four Olympic Games. She was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. Since retiring from competition in 2011 Faumuina embarked on a career spanning diplomacy, governance, and public service. She spoke to Susana Lei’ataua.
Beatrice Faumuina.
Photo: Photosport Ltd 2019 www.photosport.nz