Constable Ella Gunson. Photo: NZ Olympic Committee.
Ella, 32, played 232 international matches as a midfield/defender for the New Zealand Black Sticks from 2009 to 2021, retiring last year after competing at the Tokyo Olympics where the team finished eighth.
Her achievements include a gold medal at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, a silver medal at the Delhi Commonwealth Games and a fourth-place finish at the 2012 London Olympics, which she calls her proudest achievement given the team’s underdog status heading into the games.
She has also played in several Hockey World Cups, Champions Trophy events, World and Pro League series and Oceania Cups.
A two-year hiatus from the Black Sticks in 2014 and 2015 to take up a hockey scholarship at Boston University meant Ella missed out on a starting spot in the 2016 Rio Olympics. She went as a reserve, but that omission provided plenty of motivation to make it back into the side for Tokyo.
“That was really good for character building and made me realise how much you take things for granted and then miss them when you don’t have them,” she says.
While training to make it to Tokyo, Ella graduated from Police College in December 2020 and was stationed in her home city, Whangārei.
As the Tokyo Olympics drew closer and training intensified, she was able to relocate to Auckland, as part of the North Shore Prevention Team, to be closer to the Black Sticks’ training facilities
When she was named in the Black Sticks Olympic squad in June last year, members of the Prevention Team joined her for the announcement.
“That was amazing. It was so cool to see them there, they were all proud. That was really nice and special for me.”
Playing at the highest level of sport has been a dream come true for Ella and something she says she has been grateful for every time she has played.
“You can’t beat that feeling of representing your country and going out there with the Silver Fern on your chest. I enjoyed the feeling of not only representing my country, but my family and friends and, in particular, Northland.
“I've always been really proud to be from Northland, so I love that I could be out there for those people as well as myself.”
After retiring from the Black Sticks, Ella relocated to Northland to join the Public Safety Team in Dargaville.
“I’m loving life up north and focusing on police and playing social sport and just being able to be around more often to hang out with my friends. I think it’s time to move on and just have a bit more of a normal life.”
She still plays hockey for her local club – the Maungakaramea Premier Women’s team in the Northland competition – and plans on playing for Northland in the annual national hockey tournament.
“It’s hugely important to me to give back to my local club because I was trying to toss up if I would still play hockey or not. I really like golf now and was wondering if I would just play golf, but then I thought about everything that Northland hockey has done for me, and I realised that I did need to give back in that way, to play at the grassroots and just be around hockey.”
She’s also looking forward to giving back to her community as a police officer.
“My mum was a nurse. She liked working in the community, and I think I've got a bit of that in me as well. I want to work for the community that has supported me, but I’d be lying if I didn't say that I’m also keen on having a little bit of excitement in my job.”
She’s found that her skills from elite-level hockey have transferred to her career in police, notably teamwork and being resilient.
“You have some real lows and real highs in hockey, and you have some setbacks, but you’ve just got to keep going, and it’s the same in Police.”
She’s enjoying the variety and learning opportunities that PST work offers, and would like to eventually work in CIB and be involved in search and rescue.
After her short time in Police, she says she is pleasantly surprised and humbled to be named as the 2021 Sportsperson of the Year.
REFEREE/UMPIRE OF THE YEAR -Senior Sergeant Andrew Bell (Counties Manukau)
Andrew is a boxing judge and referee who has been part of the NZ Professional Boxing Association for 21 years.
A qualified WBA/IBF/WBO and WBC (the big four world boxing organisations) judge and referee, Andrew was called on to judge the WBO Oriental Heavyweight bout between New Zealanders Joseph Parker and Junior Fa in February 2021.
He also judged the WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight title fight between Parker and Briton Derek Chisora, in the UK, which Parker won.
Andrew is involved in the Revills Boxing gym in Pakuranga.
ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR - Senior Constable David Cowie (Alexandra)
Dave is a ski coach and administrator who has been a volunteer/coach for the NZ Special Olympics winter programme for 12 years.
He’s been selected as the head ski coach for the New Zealand Special Olympic team to the World Winter Games in Russia in 2023 (the event was meant to be in 2021 and then in 2022 but was postponed because of Covid-19). He was also a ski coach for the 2017 World Winter Games in Austria.
Dave has also been involved in multisport and adventure racing for several years and recently competed again in the GODZone Adventure race.
SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR - Manawatu Police Cricket Team (Blue Crusaders)
The Manawatū Police Cricket Team had an impressive year in 2021. They were unbeaten in the Central Districts Cricket Tournament against Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki and Whanganui.
The team is currently in second place in the local twilight competition and won their match against the Manawatū/Whanganui teachers.
The Blue Crusaders has 20 players from across Manawatū and Levin and provides great camaraderie on and off the pitch and actively promote Police’s values in the community.
