Susie Simcock

 Squash Otago join with the squash and sporting community around New Zealand in mourning the passing of Susie Simcock ONZM at age 82; a beloved member of the squash and wider-sporting communities. Her infectious positivity and enduring support for squash will be sorely missed, and her life-long contributions to the game never forgotten. Our thoughts are with Susie’s family at this time.
A trailblazer for women in sport, Susie’s long career as a sports administrator saw her lead the way in championing for gender equity and balance on boards. Susie made a particularly notable contribution to squash. In 1996 she became the first female president of the World Squash Federation. She was also the first female council member of the General Assembly of International Sporting Federations. Susie held many significant and pioneering roles in sporting administration in New Zealand and internationally. On top of her contribution to squash, she was a board member of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, a role she fulfilled for 12 years, and a governor for the International Masters Games Association. She was the first female to win the Sparc Leadership Award at the Halberg Awards in 2009. Other accolades included becoming an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004 and being made a holder of the New Zealand Olympic Order of Merit in 2018 for her work in the field of women in sport. Susie was also a keen golfer and founding member of the New Zealand Golf Board. She competed in the World Masters Games 2017 and was one of its ambassadors, spreading the word that age was no barrier to participation.

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