Crack shot scores Supreme Award

Stephanie McNair and her awards with her family and supporters at the NZ Rural Sports Awards: Tararua Mayor Tracey Collis, left, grandma Margaret Stuart, Stephanie, mum Ruth, granddad John Stuart and Sports Awards trustee Ben Allomes.

When Stephanie McNair of Dannevirke was invited to the Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards in the Awapuni Racecourse on the evening of Friday, March 12, little did she know what was in store.

The venue was breathtaking with more tables than it had ever held, necessary to accommodate the 400 guests. She was there with her mum Ruth and grandparents Margaret and John Stuart and many other supporters from the Tararua, including Mayor Tracey Collis.

Dannevirke's Stephanie McNair at home with her trophies from the NZ Rural Sports Person Awards on Friday, March 12.

Where was dad Robbie? He was returning from Auckland, where he had delivered gear for Stephanie's participation in the Air Rifle Nationals, scheduled for Saturday but postponed due to Covid alert level 2.

The evening started with drinks and nibbles, followed by dinner with guest speakers Sir John Kirwin and shot putter Tom Walsh, and the winners of the six different categories being announced throughout – no doubt to give the caterers time to serve such a huge crowd and to pique the interest.

Stephanie said she enjoyed the "amazing" meal and was stunned to hear her name called as the Fonterra NZ Rural Youth Sportsperson of the Year as the first winner of the evening. She was nervous going up to receive her award and received applause when she commented "it is amazing what a girl from a small town like Dannevirke can achieve".

Stephanie's profile was presented as follows:

"Having only started out in the sport in 2018, Stephanie McNair's flair for target shooting has seen her shoot through the ranks. Starting out in D grade just two years ago where she was shooting indoors only, Stephanie soon qualified for C Grade in 2019, and then A grade by the end of that same year, missing B grade altogether.

"Stephanie has won, and been highly placed in, many competitions during 2020 which featured top shooters from around New Zealand, including those who have competed at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games. She has also had international wins against teams from Great Britain and USA.

"Young and ambitious, Stephanie has big plans for the future, aiming to make the NZ Oceania Games Team for outdoor/air rifle shooting as well as the North Island Open, Junior and Women's shooting teams, where she can then qualify for the New Zealand teams. [This was written before the nationals in February – see below.] Stephanie also plans to become the top secondary school shooter for 2021 during the secondary school nationals held in September."

The guest speakers followed, Sir John Kirwin talking about mental health - especially issues in rural areas - and Tom Walsh describing the difficulties of preparing for the Olympics, which were postponed last year and are now on again.

Award presentations continued and the evening built to a high pitch as first the Rural Sportswoman of the Year (Keryn Herbert) and Rural Sportsman of the Year (Rowland Smith) were named until at 11.30pm the Supreme Award winner was announced - and to Stephanie's huge shock her name reverberated around the venue. (She did not know she was eligible!)

She is forever grateful to awards trustee Ben Allomes, who pre-warned her to be ready if she won and gave her some essential tips for her speech – to mention Mum and Dad, Dannevirke and bullseye.

This is exactly how Stephanie managed it and she was really pleased with her speech upon receiving the award.

Life has been a bit surreal since then. Dad found out the remarkable news, the phone has rung hot and in the future she knew she would have to go to her school Palmerston North Girls' High, where she is in her final year.

What the profile did not mention was Stephanie's recent outstanding performance at the New Zealand Smallbore Rifle Outdoor Shooting 50-metre Nationals in Christchurch from February 22-28. Mum Ruth believes this made a difference and the results were spectacular.

Over six days (as she had hoped) she qualified for every NZ team she was eligible for. This includes:

• The NZ Women's Randle team which competes with USA, England and South Africa in a postal shoot

• The Slazenger NZ Open Team comprising NZ's top 22 shooters, which will compete with Australia

• The Wakefield team of top 10 shooters competing with USA, Australia and South Africa

• The NZ Women's team of the top five shooters

• The NZ Junior team.

• The Junior Drew team (Top three shooters from each country to compete in a postal shoot with USA and UK.)

• The Women's Drew team

• North Island team (which beat the South Island).

Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards winners

• PTS Logistics NZ Rural Sportsman of the Year: Rowland Smith

• Skellerup NZ Rural Sportswoman of the Year: Keryn Herbert

• Fonterra NZ Rural Youth Sportsperson of the Year: Stephanie McNair

• Levno Outstanding Contribution To Rural Sport: Joint winners – Murray & Deneece Goldsworthy and Warren White

• Toyota Lifetime Legacy To Rural Sport: Joint winners – Sally Mallinson, Curly Troon, Greg Herrick, Nick Liefting, Sheree Taylor

• Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Supreme Award: Stephanie McNair

• Sir Brian Lochore Memorial Award: Tom Walsh

Chief executive at chief sponsor Norwood, Tim Myers, congratulated the winners and finalists of the awards, saying:

"It's been inspiring to hear the dedication and commitment of our rural athletes to their sport and the standing they have on the international arena, especially our up-and-coming athletes like Stephanie McNair who has been shooting her way through the ranks."

Stephanie has taken up air rifle shooting with the hope she will qualify for both it and smallbore at the next Olympics after Tokyo. Watch this space.