Karen Corlett receiving the insignia for Dame Yvette Corlett, DNZM for services to athletics
Dame Yvette Corlett was the first New Zealand female athlete to win an Olympic Gold medal in 1952 in the long jump event.
Dame Yvette served as Patron of Counties Manukau Regional Sports Trust for 17 years until 2009. She was Patron of Athletics New Zealand from 2003 to 2006 and served on the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame’s Board of Governors from 1990 to 1995. She served for 40 consecutive years on the selection panel for the New Zealand Herald Junior Sports Awards. Dame Yvette continued to volunteer her time coaching at the Panmure Young Citizens Centre.