September 12, 2011

Two Nelson finalists announced in the 2011 Next Woman of the Year Awards

Nyle Sunderland from Nelson and Aly Cook from Upper Moutere are today revealed as finalists in the Next Woman of the Year Awards, in association with Pandora.

Nyle is a strong contender in the sports category. Since being dared to do a triathlon by a friend five years ago, this once unfit grandmother has become a champion racewalker, not only achieving her goal of representing New Zealand at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sacramento, but winning three gold medals. She also coaches anyone who wants to learn her sport, including a team of junior walkers.

Aly is a finalist in our arts and culture section. The mum of three has let nothing stop her reach her goal of becoming a recording artist: fundraising to release her CD, creating her own record label and organising her own tour. A talented singer-songwriter with an indie-blues sound, Aly also ran the Sounds of Tasman Music Seminar and put together the We Will Rise Again CD for Christchurch.

Next magazine launched the Woman of the Year Awards in 2010 with the objective of acknowledging and celebrating remarkable women, and this year’s selection truly reflects this. The 25 finalists have been selected from a wide range of entries across five major categories: community; arts and culture; sport; health and science; and business. To narrow the field and determine the winners, Next magazine editor Sarah Henry was joined on the judging panel by Dame Catherine Tizard and Dr Gareth Morgan.

Each of the 25 finalists is profiled in the October issue of Next magazine on sale today (September 12). The overall Woman of the Year will be announced at a glitzy awards event in Auckland on October 6, and will feature in the November issue of the magazine.

Next Woman of the Year Finalists 2011
Arts & Culture
Ainsley Gardiner, Film producer
Denise L’Estrange Corbet, Fashion designer
Jill Marshall, Publisher and author
Eileen Moran, Visual effects producer
Aly Cook, Recording artist

Business
Mai Chen, Lawyer and founding partner of Chen Palmer
Sarah Gibbs, CEO Trilogy
Kylie Gibbard, Founder of Emkay
Angie Philp, Managing director of Reach Me
Jacqui Spice, Founder of Touch of Spice

Community
Ruahine Albert, Service manager at Te Whakaruruhau
Lesley Elliott, Founder of the Sophie Elliott Foundation
Janine Morrell-Gunn, Launched Adopt a Christchurch Family
Mandy Robertson, Director of Whitford Wild Bird Care Centre
Vicki Wall, Founder of Dawn Trust

Health & Science
Jenn Hooper, Founding member of Action to Improve Maternity (AIM)
Sue Johnson, Christchurch coroner
Kim Knight, Health coach
Judy Leader, Nurse practitioner - pain management
Elaine Rush, Professor of Nutrition AUT

Sport
Dr Christine Couldrey, Ultra-distance athlete
Helen Johnson, Special Olympics coach
Jayne Parsons, Paralympian
Melissa Ruscoe, Former Black Ferns Captain
Nyle Sunderland, Racewalker

ENDS

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