Lesley Milne Honoured with Sir Eion and Jan, Lady Edgar Lifetime Achievement Award
Rowing pioneer, administrator and volunteer Lesley Milne has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Sir Eion and Jan, Lady Edgar Lifetime Achievement Award, announced tonight at the New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards in Auckland, Monday, 8 June.
The award recognises individuals who have made an outstanding and enduring contribution to sport and recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand over a lifetime of service, leadership and achievement. Recipients are honoured for the lasting impact they have had on their sport, their communities and future generations.
For Lesley Milne, the recognition reflects more than six decades of dedication to rowing as an athlete, administrator, official and advocate for women in sport.
When Milne began rowing in the 1960s, opportunities for women in New Zealand rowing were limited. She took to the water at North Shore Rowing Club on Lake Pupuke because few Auckland clubs accepted women at the time.
As the sport began to evolve, Milne was at the forefront of change.
In 1974, she was selected in the first women’s crew to represent New Zealand at the World Rowing Championships, competing in the Coxed Four in Lucerne. Domestically, she enjoyed success on the water, winning eight national titles with Auckland Rowing Club before later claiming both gold and silver medals at the 1994 World Masters Games.
While her achievements as an athlete were significant, it is her contribution away from competition that has left an even greater legacy.
As Secretary of the New Zealand Women’s Rowing Association from 1967 to 1973, Milne played a key role in the historic merger of the women’s and men’s national rowing bodies. The changes helped create a more inclusive sport and laid the foundations for the opportunities available to New Zealand women rowers today.
Her governance contributions continued for decades. Milne served on the New Zealand Rowing Association Council for 11 years and became the organisation’s first – and to date only – female President. She also provided leadership at a regional level as President of the Auckland Rowing Association and through numerous governance, welfare and volunteer roles with Auckland Rowing Club.
Milne’s influence extended into officiating, where she again helped shape the future of the sport. She served as the inaugural Chair of the national Race Officials Association and later as Rowing New Zealand’s Race Officials Coordinator. The education pathways, development programmes and internationally aligned officiating standards she helped establish continue to support rowing events across New Zealand today.
Her extraordinary service has previously been recognised through her appointment as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) and Life Memberships of Rowing New Zealand, the Auckland Rowing Association and Auckland Rowing Club.
The Sir Eion and Jan, Lady Edgar Lifetime Achievement Award adds another significant honour to an outstanding record of service.
From breaking barriers as one of New Zealand’s earliest international women rowers to helping shape the governance, officiating and culture of the sport, Lesley Milne’s influence can be seen throughout New Zealand rowing today.
Her contribution has helped create opportunities for generations of athletes, officials and volunteers, making her a deserving recipient of one of New Zealand sport’s highest honours.