Kings Birthday Honours 2026: Michael and Barbara Beable recognised for services to athletics
After more than 100 years combined in athletics, Michael and Barbara Beable sat down, had a think and went out for lunch to celebrate their inclusion in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to the sport.
The pair have each been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM).
Barbara Beable claimed a silver medal at the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in shot put, competing at the two following Commonwealth Games in shot put and pentathlon, while Michael Beable is more well-known for his coaching.
“It was an incredibly humbling experience because I had no idea that this was going to happen,” Barbara Beable said.
“I had an inkling that Michael might be [honoured], but I had no idea that I was involved at all.
“But the way it evolved, the people that they asked for references said, ‘well, you can’t do Michael without doing Barbara’, so that’s how I became involved, but I had no knowledge whatsoever of what was going on.”
Michael Beable echoed his wife’s words.
“I was surprised, humbled, honoured and at the end of the day, it’s a nice feeling to be appreciated,” he said.
The Wānaka-based pair have seen plenty of top athletes come and go, with Michael Beable having coached high jumper Roger Te Puni, who held 11 New Zealand senior men’s high jump titles, hurdler Tim Soper, long jumpers Chantal Brunner, Frith Maunder, Jessica Penney, Ryan Roselli and James Hutchens, alongside triple jumper Scott Clements.
One of the biggest names he is involved with now is Shay Veitch, who has four national long jump titles, a 100m national title and a 200m title as well.
Michael Beable remains proud of the athletes he has helped develop over the years.
“My athletes have won 133 New Zealand titles and 55 have represented New Zealand,” he said.
“We’ve got stars coming through even today, but up here in Wānaka where we’ve retired, we’ve just been working with the local group and I’ve been able to take some of them right the way through to international status from nothing.
“I mean, two competed a week ago at the Darwin Oceania International Games, for example, and they came from nowhere.
“They just turned up as 13- or 14-year-olds and we just developed them and put them through our process.”
He said having his wife at his side was vital to the success he and his athletes have achieved over their careers.
“Honestly, I couldn’t have managed it without her support and input at times.
“But it’s just the way it’s evolved that perhaps over the last 30-odd years or so, I’ve been more in the lead role as the coach.
“Or even through the ′80s when the family was coming along, I really sort of took much more of a lead role and took them all the way through.
“And when for family reasons and when she was working through from about the mid ′90s, I carried on as the main coach as well.
“So having her there, being able to talk about things and share information and compare what we see in watching an athlete in training and just discussing certain things is hugely valuable, hugely.”
Barbara Beable said her personal highlight in athletics was her silver medal in Edinburgh, but helping young athletes is one of the key reasons they have stayed involved with the sport as long as they have.
“My personal motivation is for [the athletes] to be as passionate about the sport as we both are, but for me personally, to try and be better, to improve their own personal performances,” she said.
“It’s not about winning as far as I’m concerned, it’s about doing the best they can or being the best they can be and you know, at the end of the day, as Mike said, there can only be one winner, but these kids can improve and get better.
“There are life lessons that can be transferred to their own personal circumstances as well, which the character building stuff that is so important.
“Mike’s saying get them to aspire to be the best they can be, I guess that’s probably a good summary of it all.”
Being involved with athletics for so long, Beable said she has noticed significant changes to the sport since she started.
“The facilities are the major change, the track surface is a huge step forward,” she said.
“I look at the shoes that these athletes wear today, they’re just absolutely amazing.
“They’re already built so that they’re already on their toes and techniques have evolved, but not significantly.
“I guess training systems and equipment and facilities and the opportunity because competition is so important for development of athletes.
“And I see that now if you’re a top athlete you can get to Europe and you can compete in the Diamond League competitions and you can make a living from athletics at the very top level and we would train for two years before we got a competition like that.
“So the opportunities are more available to athletes today, but at the end of the day, it’s all always about hard work, working smart and enjoying it.”
Despite being retired and named in the King’s Birthday Honours, the Beables have no plans to step away from the sport they love.
“Mike and I are part of the Aspiring Athletics Club here in Wānaka,” Beable said.
“Mike’s the chief coach and I support him and help him through the sessions and it doesn’t matter where you are in New Zealand, there’s always the talent around.
“It’s just a matter of them becoming involved in the sport and we see that this is where our future is.”