Draft:Lynette Skelton

Lynette Skelton was a female rower. She was born on February 27th, 1941 and passed away on October 18th, 2023 (The New Zealand Herald, 2023). According to Andy Hay at the newsroom, Lynette Skelton started rowing at the Auckland University Women's Rowing Club at only 18. This was one of the only rowing clubs available for women members at the time (Hay 2023). At a time when women were not accepted in the sport of rowing, Lynette Skelton persevered. Skelton was determined to prove that women's capability in rowing matched up to their male counterparts. National Bank of New Zealand's magazine described Skelton and her challenge as "a crusade to win recognition for her sex in a sport that for years in New Zealand has been virtually a male preserve"(NBNM, 1963). When working at the National Bank as a teller, Lynette persuaded her colleagues to join the Auckland club with her. Together, with three other women they acquired the name "National Bank Four" (Hay, 2023). The team of four was then featured on the cover of the National Bank of New Zealand's magazine in 1963. In 1966 Skelton, and her team of three, rowed in Adaline where they won the Inter-State Championship (Hay, 2023). Skelton was a pioneer for women's rowing in New Zealand and the sport would not be where it is today without her.