The Dunedin orthodontist had won the bronze medal in the women's aged 55 to 59 heavy weight throw at the world masters athletics championships in the United States late last month.
"I couldn't take the grin off my face," Harding said. "I just had to ring Steve and tell him the news."
Her partner, Steve Smith, did not mind being woken up at 3am to hear the good news.
It was the first time Harding (55) had competed at the world masters championships.
The event was won by Ruth Welding (US) with a throw of 12.83m from Christel Junker (Germany) 12.42m.
Harding threw a New Zealand masters record of 12.24m. It was a personal best throw by 50cm.
She also gained Otago records when she finished fourth in the hammer throw (35.37m), seventh in the shot put (9.82m) and seventh in the throws pentathlon (3128 points).
It was a personal best by 2m in the hammer throw and by 60cm in the shot put.
Harding paid tribute to Fiona Harvey, her mentor from the Taieri club, who persuaded her to go to the Sunday morning training sessions at Mosgiel during the early winter months.
Harding had competed in the Oceania championships in Raratonga, Christchurch and Townsville before and won 14 medals, including five golds.
There were 6000 athletes competing at the championships, including 47 from New Zealand, four from Otago. The other Otago athletes were Gene and Dalise Sanderson and Claire Giles.
"I was inspired by the experience and want to compete in Brazil in two years' time," Harding said.
She was impressed by the passion and enthusiasm of several competitors who were more than 100.
The two oldest New Zealand competitors were both competing in the women's aged 80 to 84 grade. Marcia Petley (Hamilton) won silver medals in the 400m and 800m and Depene Ngawini (Northland) won silver medal in the javelin.
Harding was nationally ranked in the senior women's shot put and narrowly missed gaining medals at national championships when she came fourth by centimetres on two occasions.
She won five Otago senior shot put titles and broke the Otago record with 12.60m in 1974.
Harding retired in 1979 and had 23 years on the sidelines before her partner pushed her back into athletics when he entered her in the field events at the 2002 New Zealand Masters Games in Dunedin.
During her first stint, Harding was coached by her father, John Harding, who was an enthusiastic masters athlete and had won a national title a few months before he was drowned in a rafting accident in 1985.
