The accolade still puzzles her. Of it, she says: "I was stunned, there are no words [to describe it], I just went 'really, man alive', it was hard-case."
"Hard-case" is the sort of phrase Louise Nicholas uses a lot - just as she calls others "luvvy". That she does so is part of the all-embracing Louise Nicholas - the woman who, as a teenager, was allegedly raped by a bunch of rogue Rotorua cops. "Allegedly" is a word we use deliberately - they were acquitted. However, there was a better outcome for her when their officer in charge, former Detective Inspector John Dewar was jailed for four-and-a-half years on four charges of attempting to obstruct the course of justice, Louise's unanswered complaints were at their core.
It would be easy for her to be bitter - instead she's become the backstop for abuse victims. It wasn't coincidence that Our People renewed our acquaintance with her at court. It has become her domain, the horror of her past transformed into the salvation of others taking claims of historical sexual abuse through the judicial process. Louise has become their rock, their mentor or, as one puts it "our guardian angel". Her official title is Survivor Advocate for Rape Prevention Education.
It was Louise's intervention which led to her presence in the Rotorua High Court's public gallery when former Whakatane gym owner Garry Jones was found guilty last month of 45 of 49 charges involving nine women during the 1970s and 80s.
"When the verdicts came I fist-pumped, I was so overwhelmed with happiness for these women who'd had the courage to finally speak out."
At least two had attempted to speak out, one as recently as five years ago, but their complaints were shelved. A former detective told the Jones trial jury that if they had been pursued it would have been "akin to throwing these young girls to the wolves".
Louise Nicholas has been pivotal in wiping out that "old school" police mindset. The woman whose own complaints fell on deaf ears now has entree to police at the highest level, she's official rape adviser to Police National Headquarters (PNHQ).
When she received an email last year from one of Jones' victims venting her frustration that police had shunned her, Louise alerted PNHQ. An inquiry was immediately launched, Jones interviewed and charged.
She is presently supporting the victims of a Rotorua businessman in custody waiting to be sentenced for abusing them as children and teenagers; nor is her workload limited to women, she's assisted a surprising number of men.
Our People had to join a queue for a slice of her time. The safety net she offers is cast wide, she's been heavily involved with White Ribbon Month and works closely with Women's Refuge to pick up the pieces for those harmed by family violence.
In 2012, she was one of 20 New Zealand women chosen to address a New York conference of 6000 delegates focused on sexual and violence victims world-wide.
Public speaking has become a way of life. "Am I nervous? Of course, but I down a bottle of Rescue Remedy and get on with it, my job's to help people empower themselves."
Her phone is never off. "I get growled for that by Ross [her husband] but I always answer it, return texts and emails immediately, the agony nearly killed me when there was never anybody there for me, there's no way I can let anyone else go through that."
We ask if her reference to her experience nearly killing her means she had contemplated suicide? "Absolutely not, but it does shut you down, generally for years."
Louise has had to deal with someone dear to her taking their own life. Midway through the Dewar trial, her brother committed suicide. "Only he knows why. At the time I was angry with him but I'll never judge him for it."
Louise Nicholas never judges, nor does she counsel, "that's for the experts".
Recent surgery to remove her thyroid gland has not slowed her.
"I wasn't sick, it was large and getting larger, causing breathing restrictions but, really, I had it done for cosmetic reasons. I've bounced back - absolutely."
She was in recovery mode when Consent: The Louise Nicholas Story, screened; it was eight years in the making. Seeing herself portrayed by another woman was, she admits, "kinda surreal".
"But Michelle Blundell did a stunning job, the only scene I battled to have taken out was of a young Louise hanging out a window smoking, it was such a bad example, everything else was true to form, they nailed it."
Louise leads by example, her three daughters have inherited her empathetic nature.
"They're mini ambassadors for the cause [sexual abuse and family violence], amazing, strong young women who battle for the underdog."
We suggest she could be talking about herself and she doesn't like it one bit. "It's weird, people say I'm strong, but I don't really think I'm much of anything."
If any statement qualifies to be emblazed on a "yeah, right" Tui billboard this surely must be it.
