King’s Birthday Honours 2024: Foxton’s Joss Urbahn made Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Joss Urbahn, pictured after winning the Capital Coast Surf Official of the Year Award, has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King's Birthday 2024 Honours.

Whether it’s courtside or near the water, Joss Urbahn enjoys helping her community.

Urbahn, from Foxton, has spent more than 40 years dedicating her time to squash and surf lifesaving. That service has been recognised with Urbahn being made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit as part of the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List.

The list was made public today, but Urbahn received the news six weeks ago.

“I had received the email and was quite shocked. It’s slowly starting to sink in now.”

Urbahn started playing squash in 1979 in Palmerston North.

“I then became a committee member, then club captain and president. When I moved to Foxton a few years later, I started playing for the local club.”

She is also involved with Squash Central and, at a national level, Urbahn was the director of rules and refereeing from 1994-2001 and again from 2009-2011.

She was the championship referee at the 2006 World Junior Squash Boys Championships, the 2010 Women’s World Teams competition, the 2017 World Junior Champs and the World Men’s Teams event in 2023.

She was also the championship referee at the New Zealand Squash championship for several years.

“I look after the players and allocate them to a match. I’ve been lucky to meet so many amazing top players. I can’t describe how good they are, it’s just something you have to see for yourselves.”

Urbahn said she had also always been passionate about surf lifesaving, joining the Palmerston North Surf Lifesaving Club in 1986 before she moved to Foxton and joined the Foxton Surf Life Saving Club in 2003, where she is now president.

“My children joined the Palmerston North club. I spent time as the secretary, club captain and team manager.”

At a club level, she has held several roles including committee member, club captain, team manager and president. Regionally, she has been competition secretary, committee member and team manager.

“When I moved to Foxton we created Tararua, combining Foxton, Palmerston North, Ōtaki and Mangaore so they could enter team events.”

In 2023 Urbahn was head of event management for six national, five regional and seven local surf lifesaving competitions.

“I really enjoy what I do. I get to meet a whole lot of people.”

Her latest achievement adds to her life membership award for Palmerston North and Central Squash clubs and surf lifesaving life memberships with Palmerston North, Foxton, the central region and Surf Lifesaving New Zealand.

Urbahn said she was honoured to receive the New Zealand Order of Merit.

“It’s quite humbling. When you look at the other people who have received this in the past, they’ve all done incredible things. Everything I do is for the love of the sports but I am honoured to receive this.”