Kathleen Webster

Kathy Otto (now Webster) earned her spot in the New Zealand team for the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games with a late rush.

Otto was born in Pukekohe in 1955 and later moved to Pokeno. Competing in Auckland in November 1973, she leapt a sensational 6.20m in the long jump, which placed her 4th on the all-time New Zealand list. Following her heroics in Auckland, she confirmed her rapid advance by leaping 6.01m to win the season’s national championship, held in December 1973 at QEII Park, Christchurch as a prelude to the following month’s Commonwealth Games.

She was relatively short for a long jumper, but had good speed and looked to have tremendous potential. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find her best form during the Games and her 5.65m effort was not enough to enable her to advance to the final.

She retained vivid memories of her time in Christchurch. “The pride as an 18-year-old marching into Christchurch Stadium with the New Zealand team was overwhelming. On the final day we returned as a team who had done New Zealand proud, and as we were marching very formally back into the stadium, a shout from the back of the team came, something to the tune of, ‘Oh come on - enough of that!’

“Everyone just broke free and started waving and cheering to the crowd. This reverberated through to the other teams, and the ‘Friendly Games’ ended appropriately.” That moment during the closing ceremony stayed with her. “Even as an elderly lady often watching closing ceremonies on TV, I think to myself, ‘We did that first!’ and smile.”

Otto was one of six children. Her introduction to athletics came about because her brother, Michael, was doing well in the sport. The five girls in the family were taken to his club and encouraged to run too. Kathy was six when she began running competitively.

She showed early talent. At the Auckland school champs at Otahuhu, Kathy, just 10, broke a national age record with a leap of 12ft 6in. Kathy also dabbled in netball, making several age rep teams. One of her most memorable moments as a school athlete was anchoring her Pukekohe High School relay team to an improbable victory during a meeting held to mark a Royal visit.

As a junior athlete, she came under the eye of Dave Norris and Kerry Hill. Soon after, Venezuelan coach Lloyd Murad focused on her sprinting technique and remained her coach through to the 1974 Commonwealth Games.

Tragically, a freak car accident in November 1976 changed Kathy’s world. She moved to Cornwall, England, in 1977, where she remained.

She coached youngsters at the local athletics club, and became a keen marathon runner, eventually competing eight marathons, with a best time of 3hr 25min, and numerous half-marathons and 10km runs.