BEING at the pointy end of Olympic competition has helped earn a Williamstown woman a Queens Birthday honour.
It is the second Monday of June and it’s is a national holiday in Australia for the Queen's birthday. Three-time Olympic fencer Helen Smith was named a member in the general division of the order of Australia.
She was recognised for significant service to fencing as an Olympic athlete, coach and mentor, and through a range of leadership and administrative roles.
Smith said she was humbled to receive the honour.
“It’s wonderful to receive that recognition. It’s something I didn’t ever expect and I greatly appreciate it,’’ she said.
Although still coaching once a week, Smith said most of her involvement in the sport now centred on administration.
She is Commonwealth Fencing Federation president and Oceania Fencing Confederation president and holds an executive role on the Women’s Fencing Commission.
“We are working hard to try and increase the participation of woman in leadership roles in the sport,’’ she said.
“Participation is fine with about a 40 to 60 ration of women to men in the sport but in leadership terms, women are very under represented.’’
Helen Smith is an outstanding role model for all women in Fencing and sport in general.
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President of the Oceania Fencing Confederation Helen Smith receives a Queens birthday honor.Read all about it here: bit.ly/1Kk3pS8#rolemodel #fencing #womeninsport
Posted by FIE - International Fencing Federation on Monday, June 8, 2015