Dunedin's Mike Kernaghan intends to follow in the footsteps of his former school teacher in his new role as an Olympic and Commonwealth Games selector. Ossie Johnson was an Olympic Games selector when he was head of physical education at Otago Boys' High School in the early 1970s.
''He was an inspirational teacher, because he had been there and done it himself,'' Kernaghan said.
''He also backed the athletes.
''He was well into his 60s when I was at school but he was still as fit as a fiddle and enthusiastic about wanting to teach and impart his vast knowledge to young men.''
The new selection panel was named by the New Zealand Olympic Committee yesterday. The other selectors are Auckland's Simon Wickham (chairman) and Tony Hall (Christchurch).
Kernaghan (57), the chief executive of the Cancer Society of Otago and Southland, is the first Olympic selector from Otago since Dr Dave Gerrard. Other selectors from the region in the last 40 years have been Johnson and Bill Holley. Kernaghan comes into the role with a wide experience of international sport as a player and administrator.
He played national league football for Nelson and Dunedin City for a decade from 1976-87 and has represented New Zealand at bowls. He won a bronze medal in the singles at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002.
Kernaghan has also held top administration positions in bowls, badminton, football, triathlon and with Sport Otago.
''It's all about the athletes,'' he said. ''I have to make sure they have clarity around selection and know that if they meet the standard they should be selected.
''That means that the athletes must understand what they need to do in each sport.''
Kernaghan is excited about his new role in sport.
''This is another chapter for me,'' he said. ''I feel privileged to be appointed to the role.''
The secretary-general of the New Zealand Olympic Committee Kereyn Smith said ''Mike has been across a number of sports in terms of leadership and management and has been on the Athletes Commission and understands the process. We feel that he will do an outstanding job.''
The role of selectors is to implement the selection standards, oversee the process and make sure it is transparent and evidence-based.
''The athletes must know what they need to do,'' Smith said. The standard for recent Olympics has been the top 16 in the world in the different sports.
''The selectors will work through with each individual sport about what it means for those sports,'' Smith said.
''The technology we have now makes it easier to track the athletes' performances and be more objective about the process.
''The best New Zealand athletes regularly compete in world-class events and this is what we can benchmark against.''
High Performance Sport New Zealand is targeting 14 medals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
''Our job is to create the environment, planning and leadership that enables 14 medals or more to be achieved,'' Smith said.
Fact File
Mike Kernaghan
Age: 57.
Home town: Dunedin.
Family: Jan (wife), Liam, Kate.
Occupation: CEO Cancer Society of Otago and Southland.
Other jobs: Director Bowls Performance (1996-99), Programme manager Sport Otago (1999-2002), CEO Triathlon NZ (2003-05), deputy CEO Football NZ (2005-08), CEO Badminton NZ (2008-10), Member Athletes Commission (1996-2009), chairman 2003-09.
Sport: National league football for Nelson and Dunedin City 1976-87; NZ bowls singles champion 2001-02, pairs 2007; Commonwealth Games singles bronze medal 2002.
