Two Halberg nominees up for HV awards

‘‘From a Hutt Valley Sports Awards point of view we are proud of their achievements for New Zealand. What ever they do in life, the Hutt Valley will always be their home and we wish them all the best at the Halbergs’’

Hutt Valley has two representatives in the Halberg Awards.

Blind swimmer Mary Fisher and 1500m runner Nick Willis, are sure to also feature in the Hutt Valley Sports Awards.

Willis, who became the oldest Olympic medallist in the 1500m with a bronze at Rio, is a past winner of the Hutt City Sports Awards. He is New Zealand’s only two time Olympic medallist in the 1500m and has also won three Commonwealth Games medals.

Although the 1500m is one of the glamour events at the Olympics, Willis is up against Olympic rowing champion Mahe Drysdale, boxer Joseph Parker and Rio bronze medallist shot putter, Tom Walsh.

Fisher faces an even tougher battle in the disabled category, which includes Sophie Pascoe and Liam Malone. Pascoe won won three golds and two silvers at the Paralympics, while Malone won two golds and a silver at Rio.

Hutt Valley Sports Awards organiser Ken Laban is delighted to see two locals in line for a national award.

‘‘From a Hutt Valley Sports Awards point of view we are proud of their achievements for New Zealand. What ever they do in life, the Hutt Valley will always be their home and we wish them all the best at the Halbergs.’’

Laban was particularly impressed by the performance of Willis at Rio. The 1500m is one of the toughest events to win and to still be competitive at 33, was a top effort.

Although Willis lives in America, he still regards himself as a Lower Hutt boy and returns regularly to train on the Western Hills.

Laban was also full of praise for Upper Hutt swimmer Fisher. To be a blind swimmer must be challenging and he said Fisher had performed at the highest level for many years. That showed she was dedicated to her sport and he hoped she would do well at the Halbergs.

The Hutt City Sports Awards were resurrected in 2011 and in 2015 incorporated Upper Hutt to become the Hutt Valley Sports Awards.