Whangarei athlete Cameron Leslie has been named the Disabled Maori Sportsperson of the Year in the 2012 Maori Sports Awards.
The honour, announced on Saturday night at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau, caps an extraordinary year for the Ngapuhi Paralympian who smashed his own 150m individual medley world record to defend his swimming title at the London Paralympics earlier this year.
He was up against two other nominees in his category - Jane Parsons from Taranaki for tandem cycling and George Thomas (Te Arawa) for waka ama.
Leslie also won the Disabled Maori Sportsperson of the Year title in 2010.
He has just completed a journalism degree in Auckland and this month started work as a sports reporter at the Northern Advocate.
This year's supreme award went to paddler Lisa Carrington (Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki) from Ohope Beach in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
The 23-year-old sprint kayaker was New Zealand's first Olympic gold medal winner in women's sprint canoeing, blitzing the field in her Olympic debut to win the women's K1 200m by almost half a second.
A total of 22 Olympians, three Paralympians, 11 world champions and four world champion teams were honoured at the awards night hosted by Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa Charitable Trust.
Other Northlanders to be honoured included Abby Erceg (Ngapuhi), football; Alana Millington (Ngapuhi), hockey; Amber Hearn (Ngapuhi), football; Charlotte Harrison (Ngapuhi), hockey; Samantha Harrison (Ngapuhi), hockey; Jason Wynyard (Ngati Maniapoto, Ngapuhi), wood-chopping; and Richard Pehi (Ngapuhi, Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi), waka ama.
The 2012 Maori Sports Awards winners are:
MAUI TIKITIKI-A-TARANGA - Maori Sports Administrator of the Year
Mavis Mullins MNZM (Rangitane, Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi, Te Arawa) of Dannevirke - shearing
TE TOIHUAREWA - Disabled Maori Sports Person of the Year
Cameron Leslie (Ngapuhi) of Whangarei - swimming
TE ARATIATIA - Maori Sports Umpire/Referee of the Year
Glen Warrick Jackson (Ngai Tahu) of Tauranga - rugby
NGA IKA A WHIRO - Maori Sports Team of the Year
Joanne Kumeroa (Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi) of Victoria, Australia, Joel Henare (Ngati Porou) of Gisborne - wool handling
TE MARU O TUMATAUENGA - Maori Sports Coach of the Year
Waimarama Taumaunu (Ngati Porou) of Wellington - netball
TE REO O TE PARA WHAKAWAI - Maori Sports Media Award of the Year
Radio Ngati Porou (Ruatoria) - rugby
MAORI OLYMPIANS AND PARALYMPIANS
Abby Erceg (Ngapuhi) - football
Alana Millington (Ngapuhi) - hockey
Amber Hearn (Ngapuhi) - football
Andy Hayward (Te Arawa) - hockey
Blair Hilton (Tainui) - hockey
Brent Newdick (Tainui) - decathlon
Cameron Leslie (Ngapuhi) - para-swimming
Charlotte Harrison (Ngapuhi) - hockey
Dakota Lucas (Ngati Kahungunu) - football
Gemma Flynn (Te Arawa) - hockey
Hayley Palmer (Tainui) - swimming
Jade Uru (Ngai Tahu) - rowing
Jayne Parsons (Taranaki) - tandem cycling
Karen Hanlen (Ngati Awa, Te Arawa) - mountain biking
Katie Glynn (Ngati Whatua) - hockey
Kayla Sharland (Rangitane) - hockey
Kristy Hill (Te Arawa, Ngati Whatua, Ngapuhi) - football
Krystal Forgesson (Ngati Whatua) - hockey
Lisa Carrington (Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki) - canoeing
Melody Cooper (Rangitane) - hockey
Peter Martin (Te Arawa) - field athletics
Rebecca Rolls (Ngati Porou) - football
Rebecca Smith (Ngai Tahu) - football
Samantha Harrison (Ngapuhi) - hockey
Storm Uru (Ngai Tahu) - rowing
INDIVIDUAL MAORI WORLD CHAMPIONS
Adam Tuwhitu Lowe (Tainui) - wood-chopping
George Thomas (Te Arawa, Ngati Pikiao, Ngati Awa) - waka ama
Jason Wynyard (Ngati Maniapoto, Ngapuhi) - wood-chopping
Joel Henare (Ngati Porou) - shearing and wool handling
Kataraina Brown (Ngati Maniapoto) - waka ama
Marama Elkington (Ngati Toa, Tainui) - waka ama
Richard Pehi (Ngapuhi, Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi) - waka ama
Sam Sutton (Ngati Tuwharetoa) - extreme kayaking
Sonia Manaena (Ngati Porou, Ngai Tahu) - powerlifting
Teneka Hyndman, (Ngati Tuwharetoa) - Universe 'Pro Figure'
Vesna Radonich (Ngati Maniapoto) - waka ama
MAORI WORLD CHAMPION TEAMS
Cam Fergusson (Ngati Kahungunu), John Kirkpatrick (Ngati Porou) - machine shearing
Joanne Kumeroa (Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi), Joel Henare (Ngati Porou) - wool handling
Aotearoa Whakaarorangi - waka ama
Hoe Awhio - waka ama
TE TAMAHINE-A-PAPATUANUKU - Junior Maori Sportswoman of the Year
Kataraina Brown (Ngati Hako) of Manurewa, Auckland - waka ama
TE TAMA-A-RANGINUI - Junior Maori Sportsman of the Year
Jason Emery (Ngati Maniapoto) of Manawatu - rugby
HINEAHUONE - Senior Maori Sportswoman of the Year
Lisa Carrington (Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki) of Ohope, Bay of Plenty - canoeing
TE TAMA-A-TANENUIARANGI - Senior Maori Sportsman of the Year
Storm Uru (Ngai Tahu) of Cambridge - rowing
RONGOMARAEROA - The Albie Pryor Memorial Maori Sportsperson of the Year
Lisa Carrington (Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki) of Ohope, Bay of Plenty - canoeing