The 2022 award recipients were mentioned at the ONZ AGM in April 2023, but the award presentations are to be at Nationals on October. It’s time for a highlight on more of  these worthy orienteers:

Phillip Herries – O-Lynx  |2022 Innovation award
Phillip has a background in software and electronics, which proved helpful when the Hawkes Bay club was looking to create more atmosphere at the 2011 Nationals it was hosting that year. This was when Philip designed and made the first orienteering radio controls and start clocks that have now become a feature of major orienteering events in New Zealand. To make good use of live punch data the radios provided, he also developed software that not only provided the event commentators with the real time information. It also was the start of spectator TV results at events.

This was the beginning of O-Lynx and it went on to help provide the results at National, World Cup, Oceania, NAOC and World Masters events in New Zealand, Australia, USA, Brazil and Canada.

Phillip has continued developing the O-Lynx software’s capabilities and in 2019 North West Orienteering became the first club to use it as their sole event timing software. Thanks to its user-friendly features and appreciative club timing operators, O-Lynx enjoys widespread adoption amongst nearly all clubs in New Zealand.

Guy Cory-Wright   |2022 President’s award
Guy Cory Wright has been orienteering since his first year at university in the 80s and like many orienteers, a lot of his time has been spent contributing back into the sport to help it run smoothly. He set up the Auckland University OC with Al Landels, which has since seen 2 or 3 reincarnations. Then some years after finishing studies, he controlled the NZ Sprint O’ Champs on campus where we made up new sprint mapping standards as we went along! Guy has contributed to his local club, Auckland Orienteering, as Secretary and later President and now committee.

As an experienced orienteer, Guy is often called-on to do many event organising roles, or to plan or control events from the World Masters in Auckland in 2017 to regional, to national  championships. With passion and focus on the sport at all levels. He welcomes new orienteers and explains the basics, but also contributes to high standards at events so those who travel are assured of a quality event. Guy has contributed his time nationally on the ONZ Board for 4 years and has been an asset with his financial background and governance advice on investment.

More recently, Guy managed the 2022 Southern Cross teams which became an underestimated task. The pandemic created skyrocketing costs and transport was hard to obtain. To add to that, many became ill during the competition, but we can still say our keenest Southern Cross team returned from the Australian champs mission complete.