To be a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
CARRINGTON, Ms Lisa Marie, MNZM
For services to canoe racing
Ms Lisa Carrington is New Zealand’s most successful Olympian, having won six Olympic medals, five gold and one bronze, across a total of 23 medals in her canoe racing career.
Ms Carrington won her first Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in the K1 200 metres and claimed gold at the 2016 Olympics in the same event, also achieving bronze in the K1 500 metres. Her third Olympic appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games saw her compete in 12 races across six days, winning gold in the K1 200 metres, the K1 500 metres and alongside teammate Caitlin Regal in the K2 500 metres, becoming the first female triple gold medallist from New Zealand at a single Olympic Games. She has won ten world championship gold medals, including seven successive K1 200 metres event titles. She supports and coaches young paddlers at her home club in Ōhope, and works with Canoe Racing New Zealand (CRNZ) to grow the sport. The existence and success of CRNZ’s Performance Programme since 2017 is attributed to her achievements, profile and sharing of funding derived from her performances, helping build a more sustainable programme and provide more opportunities for athletes. In 2021, Ms Carrington was named the most influential Māori Sports Personality of the past 30 years in the ‘Māori Sports Awards 30 in 30’ show.
HONOURS
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, New Year 2013
To be a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
PASCOE, Ms Sophie Frances, MNZM
For services to swimming
Ms Sophie Pascoe is New Zealand’s most decorated Paralympian, winning 19 medals across four Paralympic Games, 28 medals across five World Championships and four medals in two Commonwealth Games.
Ms Pascoe made her international debut aged 13, winning a bronze medal at the IPC Swimming World Championships. Two years later she won three gold medals and one silver at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. At the 2012 Paralympic Games, she secured three gold medals in the 100 metre freestyle, 100 metre butterfly, and 200 metre individual medley events, setting world records for the latter two. She also won three silver medals in the 100 metre backstroke, 100 metre breaststroke and 50 metre freestyle. She achieved a further three gold and two silver medals at the 2016 Paralympic Games, setting a world record in the 200 metre women’s individual medley. She has won 17 gold medals across four World Championships. She won gold in the 100 metre breaststroke and 200 metre individual medley at both the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. She has been named Disabled Sportsperson of the Year on six occasions at the Halberg Awards and was named Para Athlete of the Decade in 2020. Ms Pascoe is a role model in the disabled community and Paralympian movement, and an advocate for equality and changing perceptions of people with disabilities.
HONOURS
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, New Year 2009
To be a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
SHROFF, Ms Janet Marie (Marie), CNZM, CVO
For services to the State and the community
Ms Marie Shroff was New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner from 2003 until 2014, during a period of great technological and social change.
Ms Shroff’s responsibilities as regulator included providing independent public commentary on information privacy issues, responding to major government and private sector privacy breaches, and promoting good personal information handling. She played a key role in bringing international privacy regulators to the table to address developing challenges. She led negotiations for New Zealand privacy law to gain equivalence with European law. She was instrumental in launching Privacy Foundation New Zealand and was inaugural Chair in 2017. She has been on the Media Council and a Board member of Consumer New Zealand since 2014. She was a Board member of the Equal Opportunities Trust and has represented New Zealand on the Board of the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management. She has been the Chair of the New Zealand Electoral Commission Board since 2019, helping guide the organisation through the 2020 election during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was the Secretary of the Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Council from 1987 to 2003, where she was highly regarded for guiding the constitutional transition to mixed member proportional representation and coalition government. Ms Shroff is a Distinguished Alumna of the University of Auckland.
HONOURS
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, New Year 2004
Companion of the Royal Victorian Order, 1995
New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal