Customarily, the Herald's New Zealander of the Year accolade recognises a particularly notable contribution to national life. In 2012, however, it went to someone whose courage created shockwaves far beyond the confines of this small nation.
Cycling was rocked to the core by doping revelations from Stephen Swart, once a teammate of Lance Armstrong and now an Auckland builder. In 2012, the process he started culminated in what had once seemed unthinkable, as Armstrong's much-celebrated name was expunged from the record books.
As is always the case when the dirty laundry of a sport is aired, there was a backlash. Brutally aggressive denials from Armstrong's camp, including even some of his sponsors, were only part of the response. Swart was also the subject of cruel criticism on message boards and talkback.
This prompted his wife, Jan, to ask whether continuing to tell the truth in public was worth the cost. Swart's response was: "As long as you believe in the stance you are taking and why you are taking it then you have to stay strong with it. My motivation was that the sport, when I left it [at the end of 1995], was in very bad state."
Swart's courage paid off as other former Armstrong teammates came forward. The American, having been exposed as a cheat, liar and bully, opted not to fight charges levelled by the US Anti-Doping Agency.
