Shore dominates leadership awards

An amputee who inspires, a successful businessman who owns The Breakers and a woman championing diversity in the navy have been recognised as North Shore leaders.

William Pike, Paul Blackwell and Lieutenant Commander Kerry Tutty were celebrated at the Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards on Friday.

The three were part of a group of six from around the country receiving Blake Leader Awards, presented by Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy.

William Pike, a former Westlake Boys High School student, was an avid sportsman who loved the great outdoors. He was not slowed down by the loss of his leg, after being trapped in a volcanic eruption on Mt Ruapehu in 2007.

Since 2010, Pike directed a youth development programme called the William Pike Challenge Award, which involved 1400 intermediateaged students each year.

He was also a motivational speaker, wrote an inspirational book Every Day’s A Good Day and, with wife Rebecca, recently welcomed his first child into the world.

Paul Blackwell, and wife Liz, opened and ran Albany Pak’nSave, which was New Zealand’s busiest supermarket and voted Store of the Year in 2016.

Blackwell became a director of parent company Foodstuffs in 2010.

The Blackwells bought the Breakers basketball franchise in 2005 to keep it afloat, and also devoted time and money to junior basketball.

They also had hands-on involvement in many organisations, including Starship Hospital, Heart Kids and their church.

Lieutenant Commander Kerry Tutty served with the Royal New Zealand Navy in Iraq, Kosovo and Timor-Leste, and was now the executive officer of the navy’s operational base in Devonport.

Tutty took a key leadership role in the navy’s Women’s Steering Group.

She was also heavily involved in sports, especially netball and touch rugby, including captaining touch rugby national representative sides and coaching a North Harbour youth touch team.

Tutty initiated an award in the navy’s sporting community to recognise the achievements of athletes who overcame adversity.

She was also involved fundraising and volunteering. in

SUPPLIED William Pike has not let the loss of his leg on Mt Ruapehu stop him from enjoying the great outdoors and inspiring others to do the same.