Norman Read

Norman Read, a distinguished New Zealand racewalker, was born on August thirteenth, nineteen thirty-one, in Portsmouth, England. In nineteen fifty-three, he made the significant decision to emigrate to New Zealand, where he would go on to leave an indelible mark on the world of athletics. Read proudly embraced his identity as a 'Pommie-Kiwi' and represented New Zealand at the nineteen fifty-six Olympics, where he achieved the remarkable feat of winning a gold medal in the 50 km walk. This extraordinary accomplishment earned him the title of New Zealand’s Sportsman of the Year.

Read's Olympic journey continued as he competed in the nineteen sixty Summer Olympics in Rome, where he finished fifth in the 20 km walk and made the difficult choice to abandon the 50 km race. His prowess in racewalking was further demonstrated at the nineteen sixty-six British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, where he secured a bronze medal in the 20 mile walk, marking his last international competition.

Despite retiring from international events, Read remained active in domestic competitions for an impressive eighteen years, ultimately retiring at the age of fifty-two. Throughout his career, he amassed a total of eighteen national titles, alongside three second-place finishes and four third-place finishes, showcasing his consistent excellence in the sport.

On August twenty-ninth, nineteen sixty-eight, Read married Megan Ann Crafar in Whangārei, and together they raised three daughters and a son. After relocating to New Plymouth, he took the initiative to establish New Zealand’s first race walking club, further contributing to the sport he loved. In nineteen ninety-two, he became only the second New Zealand Olympic judge, and in nineteen eighty-seven, he was honored with a diploma by the International Amateur Athletic Federation on its seventy-fifth anniversary. His legacy was solidified in nineteen ninety, when he was elected a foundation member of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame, and in two thousand nine, he was one of the first three inductees into the Taranaki Sports Hall of Fame at the Taranaki Sports Awards.

Tragically, Norman Read passed away from a heart attack during a veteran's bike race in Pirongia, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire future generations of athletes.