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Golden Girls: Celebrating New Zealand’s six female Olympic gold medallists by Margot Butcher

Golden Girls has been a collaboration with the New Zealand Olympic Committee and is the first record dedicated to our gold medal winning women and their contribution to New Zealand’s sporting and cultural history. From our first female Olympic gold winner, long-jumper Yvette Williams, to board sailor Barbara Kendall, cyclist Sarah Ulmer, rowers Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell and our latest golden girl, shot-putter Valerie Vili (now Adams), this book gives personal accounts of their courage, strength and what it took for them to be champions. It contains stories of raw talent and amazing feats.

The book actually starts with a 15 year-old Violet Walrond who made history when she competed in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, more than thirty years before a female athlete actually won gold for New Zealand. In NZ’s Olympic history, only 6 women have won gold compared to the 30 gold medals that the men in the team have won. But then again, it is only recently that the women’s events have begun to have some equality with the men. Until 1984 for instance the marathon was an event for men only and even in the Barcelona Olympics of 1992, there were only 86 events for women and 12 mixed events compared to the 159 events for men.

Golden girls not only provides an inspiration for any young female athlete that dreams of one day standing on an Olympic dais, but addresses a long inequality that has seen some of these women not get the attention or recognition they deserved. It is a fascinating account of extraordinary events and some of the hardships undergone to reach the ultimate prize of Olympic gold.

RRP $39.99
Published and distributed by HarperCollins Publishers

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