Whanganui export Jodi Brown (nee Te Huna) has been totally humbled and surprised by her Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit New Year Honour.
The award was bestowed for her services to netball, which of course began in her home town.
Brown went to Wanganui East Primary School,Wanganui Intermediate and then spent three years at Wanganui High School before moving to Wellington to advance her then burgeoning netball career.
Brown was a New Zealand netball player who retired from international netball this year, having played 61 tests in the positions of goal shooter and goal attack for the Silver Ferns since her debut against Niue in Kingston, Jamaica in 2003.
She was part of New Zealand's 2003 World Cup-winning team, and won silver medals at the 2007 and 2015 World Cups, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She has played elite domestic netball in New Zealand for 13 years and will continue to play in the ANZ Championship with the Central Pulse in 2016.
In the National Bank Cup, she has played with the Capital Shakers, the Canterbury Flames, the Auckland Diamonds, and then captained the Otago Rebels in 2007. She played with the Canterbury Tactix for the inaugural ANZ Championship season in 2008 and switched to the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic for the 2010 season. Brown captained the Southern Steel for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 ANZ Championship seasons.
"I had to read the letter two or three times when they wrote to me about the honour. I even gave it to my husband and asked him what it all meant," Brown said.
"It was a huge surprise and I was a bit blown away really. It was nice to be honoured for doing what I love. While I've retired from international netball I will continue with the Central Pulse. This will be my second season with them and it almost feels like I've come full circle because it is my home region - it is a nice way to wind down my netball career."
Brown now lives in Dunedin with husband Markham Brown and her two daughters, Kiana, 7, and Aria, 4. She plans to juggle home life with her Central Pulse duties by flying to Wellington three times a week for training.
And while she has yet to receive notification of her date with the governor-general to be presented her honour, Brown knows Sir Jerry Mateparae, who of course, also hails from Whanganui.
"I have met Sir Jerry before. He is a great netball fan and a supporter of the Silver Ferns and the Pulse - I'm looking forward to the trip to Government House," Brown said.
