Wendy Brown

Wendy Brown, who ran in two Commonwealth Games, was the fastest women’s sprinter in New Zealand at her peak. She was born in New Plymouth in 1950, and educated at New Plymouth Girls' High School. She then studied at Palmerston North Teachers' College, where she completed a Diploma of Teaching in 1970 and became a schoolteacher.

Brown won the New Zealand women's 100m title four times, in 1971, 1973, 1974 and 1981, and the 200m title twice, in 1973 and 1981. She broke the New Zealand 100m and 200m records in 1974, and held them both until 1985. She represented her country at the 1974 and 1978 Commonwealth Games, and was selected for the 1982 Commonwealth Games, but withdrew due to injury. Brown represented New Zealand at the 1973 Pacific Conference Games in Toronto, winning the silver medal in the women's 100m. Four years later, at the 1977 Pacific Conference Games in Canberra, she won bronze in the same event. She also represented New Zealand in two World Cups, in 1977 and 1981.

At the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games, Brown competed in the 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay. In the 100m, she was third in her heat in 11.6s, and 5th in the final, posting a time of 11.6s. The race was won by Australian Raelene Boyle in a Games record 11.3. In the 200m, Brown ran 23.8s in her heat, and in the semis. Boyle was again superlative in the final, winning in 22.5, with Brown 6th in 23.4. She helped make up a strong sprint relay team, along with Brenda Matthews, Gail Wooten and Kim Robertson. They were 2nd in their heat and 5th in the final in 44.68s. Brown represented New Zealand in the same three events at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton. In the 100m she managed only 11.84s in her heat and did not progress, and in the 200m she ran 23.77s in her heat, but her 23.64s in the semis did not qualify her for the final. New Zealand – Brown, Wooten, Robertson and Penny Hunt - were 4th in the 4 x 100m relay in 45.06s.

A measure of Brown’s speed is that on the New Zealand all-time list of 100m times, her 11.50s, run in 1978, still places her 6th equal. In the 200m, her best time of 23.44s now ranks her 10th fastest ever.

Brown maintained her interest in athletics and won four world masters sprint titles, two in 1997, two in 2001. An achilles injury and operation in 2004 signalled the end of her sprinting. But she always enjoyed being around athletics and after retirement from top-level running, became a team manager, official and coach.

She married Ian Brown, a former Rodney Districts rugby coach, in 1971. They were both schoolteachers. They moved to Wellsford in 1975, to Auckland in 1996, to Christchurch and then to Wellington. From 1986-88, Wendy was a member of the Rodney College Board of Governors, and from 1989-91, she was the vice-chair of the Rodney College Board of Trustees.

In 1983, Wendy Brown was awarded an MBE.