Pauline Hurley explained to Jenni Brewer why she hadn’t told her about a nomination for the Paddy Manu Junior Sports Awards.

“I didn’t tell you because you’d say no,” Pauline, Jenni’s head of department at Hawera High School told her.

On Monday the nomination paid off as Jenni was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award at the annual awards which acknowledge South Taranaki sports achievements. It was the second time she had been given the honour.

It was an acknowledgement for the work Jenni does for netball in Taranaki and the sacrifices she constantly makes to help others achieve in the sport.

This year she and Kay Stratton coached Taranaki’s Under-17 Black development squad. She has been coaching Hawera High School teams since 1985.

Have a short chat with Jenni and you will soon see how the dots are joined in South Taranaki netball. Pauline Hurley and Kay Stratton both played in the same team as Jenni when they were at school. And the teams Jenni coaches now include daughters of former team mates.

Of Monday’s award she announced that she was “chuffed”.

The other highlight of the night was hearing guest speaker Liam Malone, a double gold medal winner as a 22-year-old at the Rio Paralympics and the athlete who smashed the 200m T44 record held by South African Oscar Pistorius.

Jenni, who enjoyed a fine playing career in netball which included being selected as a non-travelling reserve for the New Zealand Under-21s, also has a background in sprinting and was hugely impressed with the blade runner, who spent time at Hawera High this week.

Her verdict? “Liam Malone rocks.”

Photo: Jenni was pictured with Liam Malone on Monday night.