Kayla Whitelock

Kayla is a highly skilled field hockey player who launched her international career at the age of 18 in 2003. She’s represented New Zealand at four Olympic Games, three Commonwealth Games and two World Cups, notching up 256 caps and 63 goals in the process.

As the long-time captain of the New Zealand Women's Hockey team, Kayla guided her team to a silver medal at the Delhi Commonwealth Games and a bronze at the 2014 Glasgow Games, along with consecutive fourth-place finishes at the Olympics. Kayla also blazed a trail as one of the first athletes to combine elite sport with motherhood, returning to action just four months after having her daughter Addison in 2014.

Kayla was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to hockey, in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours and currently serves on the NZOC Athlete’s Commission and was recently appointed to the ONOC Athletes’ Commission.