Sandra Blewett
{{Short description|New Zealand swimmer (1949–2024)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Sandra Blewett
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MBE|size=100%}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1949|09|16|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|01|01|1949|09|16|df=y}}
| death_place =
| sport = Swimming
}}
Sandra Lee Blewett {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MBE}} (16 September 1949 – 1 January 2024){{Cite news |title=Sandra Blewett obituary |work=The New Zealand Herald |url=https://notices.nzherald.co.nz/nz/obituaries/nzherald-nz/name/sandra-blewett-obituary?id=54019768 |access-date=2024-12-10 |date=6 January 2024}} was a New Zealand swimmer and coach.
Career
Since 1971, Blewett was an advanced swimming instructor and coach for non-disabled and disabled swimmers.{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Times |date=2024-01-16 |title=Highly accomplished distance swimmer dies |url=https://www.times.co.nz/news/highly-accomplished-distance-swimmer-dies/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=Times |language=en-NZ}} She was also an athlete in her own right.{{Cite web |last=Cardwell |first=Sue |date=2024-01-09 |title=In Memoriam: Para Swimming Classifier and Swim Coach Sandra Blewett MBE - Paralympics NZ |url=https://paralympics.org.nz/news/in-memoriam-para-swimming-classifier-and-swim-coach-sandra-blewett-mbe/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=Paralympics New Zealand |language=en-US}} She held records of 44 hours for endurance swimming from Whangarei to Auckland, 33 hours for a double crossing of Lake Taupō and a 25-hour swim in a heated 25 metre swimming pool.
Blewett worked in the development of Parasports in New Zealand for over 25 years in many roles including in NZ Para swimming and Parafed Auckland.{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-01-16 |title=Vale Sandra Blewett |url=https://www.swimmingnz.org/post/vale-sandra-blewett |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=Swimming NZ |language=en}} After this she was a member of the board of Paralympics New Zealand from 2001 to 2008. Blewett operated the Sandra Blewett Learn to Swim School.{{Cite web |last=Cardwell |first=Sue |date=2022-04-28 |title=Para Swimming Classifier and Swim Coach Sandra Blewett Recognized for Outstanding Service to Para Sport in New Zealand - Paralympics NZ |url=https://paralympics.org.nz/news/para-swimming-classifier-and-swim-coach-sandra-blewett-recognised-for-outstanding-service-to-para-sport-in-new-zealand/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=Paralympics New Zealand |language=en-US}}
Blewett was awarded an MBE in the 1992 New Year Honours. In 2022, Paralympics New Zealand awarded her the PNZ Order of Merit for outstanding service.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blewett, Sandra}}
Category:New Zealand female swimmers
Category:New Zealand educators
Category:Parasports in New Zealand
Category:New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Swimmers from Auckland
Category:20th-century New Zealand sportswomen
Category:New Zealand long-distance swimmers
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