Sandra Blewett

Sandra Blewett
MBE
Personal information
Born(1949-09-16)16 September 1949
Died1 January 2024(2024-01-01) (aged 74)
Sport
SportSwimming

Sandra Lee Blewett MBE (16 September 1949 – 1 January 2024) was a New Zealand swimmer and coach.

Career

Since 1971, Blewett was an advanced swimming instructor and coach for non-disabled and disabled swimmers. She was also an athlete in her own right. She held records of 44 hours for endurance swimming from Whangarei to Auckland, 33 hours for a double crossing of Lake Taupō and a 25-hour swim in a heated 25 metre swimming pool.

Blewett worked in the development of Parasports in New Zealand for over 25 years in many roles including in NZ Para swimming and Parafed Auckland. After this she was a member of the board of Paralympics New Zealand from 2001 to 2008. Blewett operated the Sandra Blewett Learn to Swim School.

Blewett was awarded an MBE in the 1992 New Year Honours. In 2022, Paralympics New Zealand awarded her the PNZ Order of Merit for outstanding service.

References

  1. ↑ "Sandra Blewett obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  2. 1 2 Team, Times (16 January 2024). "Highly accomplished distance swimmer dies". Times. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  3. ↑ Cardwell, Sue (9 January 2024). "In Memoriam: Para Swimming Classifier and Swim Coach Sandra Blewett MBE - Paralympics NZ". Paralympics New Zealand. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Vale Sandra Blewett". Swimming NZ. 16 January 2024. Archived from the original on 13 January 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  5. ↑ Cardwell, Sue (28 April 2022). "Para Swimming Classifier and Swim Coach Sandra Blewett Recognized for Outstanding Service to Para Sport in New Zealand - Paralympics NZ". Paralympics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.