Next Magazine has announced their finalists for the 2018 Woman of the Year awards.
Amongst the 30 finalists is Black Ferns Sevens captain Sarah Goss, who has made a major impact in woman’s rugby since captaining the Manawatu Sevens side that took out the 2013 National Women’s Sevens title in Queenstown.
Goss has several accolades to her name, including winning a world championship in 2013 and Olympic silver medal in 2016. She is a four-time world series winner and in 2017 was named New Zealand Rugby’s woman player of the year.
The Next Magazine Woman Of The Year award was established in 2010 to recognise woman who are achieving in all aspects of their lives while contributing and giving back to others.
Across six categories - Arts & Culture, Sports, Education, Community, Health & Science, and Business & Innovation - the finalists are examples of what can be accomplished through drive and determination.
Each finalist is profiled in the October issue of Next magazine.
The NEXT Woman of the Year winners will be chosen by a judging panel featuring Next editor Rachael Russell, The Project’s Kanoa Lloyd, and Global Women CEO Miranda Burdon.
The winners will be announced at an awards event at the Cordis hotel in Auckland on October 11.
NEXT Woman of the Year 2018 Finalists:
Arts & Culture
Anne O'Brien, Auckland Writers Festival director
Pietra Brettkelly, filmmaker
Dawn Sanders, Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ founder
Jacqui Kenny, The Agoraphobic Traveller artist
Renee Liang, community arts activist
Business & Innovation
Erica Crawford, Loveblock Wines co-founder
Wendy Thompson, Socialites founder
Sharndre Kushor, Crimson education co-founder
Lillian Grace, Figure.NZ founder
Michelle Sharp, Kilmarnock Enterprises chief executive
Community
Merenia Donne, Kotuku Foundation Assistance Animals Aotearoa founder
Verna McFelin, Pillars chief executive
Louise Allnutt, Foster Hope Charitable Trust founder
Dr Ann Brower, senior lecturer geography
Deborah Manning, KiwiHarvest founder
Education
Dr Rachel Williamson, The Summer Learning Journey founder
Brittany Teei, KidsCoin founder
Ariana Paul, Squiggle co-founder
Rez Gardi, Empower Youth Trust founder
Dr Lucy Hone, resilience educator
Health & Science
Dr Jane Harding, professor of neonatology
Dr Julia Rucklidge, professor of clinical psychology
Dr Nicola Gaston, MacDiamond Institute co-director
Dr Philippa Howden-Chapman, professor of public health
Dr Malvindar Singh-Bains, research fellow
Sport
Sarah Goss, Black Ferns Sevens captain
Professor Sarah Leberman, sports researcher
Natalie Taylor, Tall Ferns co-captain
Sophie Devine, White Ferns player
Luisa Avaiki, NZ Rugby League Wellbeing and Women's Development manager