Dame Susan Devoy
Susan Devoy
Dame Susan Devoy is an entertaining and motivational speaker, who speaks with warmth and conviction.
She draws on personal experiences from on and off the court, and shows the professionalism that ranked her the world’s number one squash player for almost a decade.
Dame Susan has a host of entertaining anecdotes from her time at the top of the sporting world, interspersed with profound insights from her unique perspective shaped by her diverse post-squash roles, like Race Relations Commissioner from 2013-2018.
She can enlighten audiences on topics like diversity, inclusion, intolerance, and prejudice, urging individuals and organizations to embrace responsibility for fostering positive change and entertain them with anecdotes about meeting Bill Clinton and Sir Edmund Hillary.
With an illustrious sporting career, Dame Susan held the coveted World Women's Squash Championship title continuously from 1983 to her retirement in 1992. Her dominance extended to winning the British Open Squash Championship eight times, culminating in a triumphant return to the title in 1992.
Her sporting prowess earned her accolades, including being named New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year in 1985, 1987, and 1988. Recognized for her achievements, she received prestigious honors such as the Member of the British Empire and the Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1998, marking her as the youngest New Zealander since Sir Edmund Hillary to receive such recognition from the Queen.
Dame Susan's dedication to social causes is evident in her extensive involvement with the Halberg Trust, driven by her passion for enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. Her engagements span beyond sports, as seen in her roles with organizations like the Sustainability Council and the Cystic Fibrosis Association.
Her leadership extends to various capacities, including her tenure as CEO and Chair of Sport Bay of Plenty from 2000 to 2003, board membership at the Auckland District Health Board (2000-2003), and Chairpersonship of BNZ partners, Tauranga (2011-2013). Currently serving as a trustee of TECT (Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust), Dame Susan continues to actively contribute to the community.
As a speaker, Dame Susan's warmth and conviction leave a lasting impact, empowering audiences to strive for personal and societal excellence.
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Episode 83
Susan Devoy is one of New Zealand’s greatest-ever sportswomen and was the world’s top-ranked squash player from 1983 until 1992, winning eight British Open women’s titles and four World Opens.
In retirement, she was knighted aged 34, the youngest Kiwi to achieve the honour since Sir Edmund Hilary. Then after gaining 20 years of experience in a number of roles, Devoy served as New Zealand race relations commissioner from 2013-2018.
In this episode we talk about dropping out of school for squash, the bumpy path to No1 in the world, the realities of having four kids under five, why she retired early, her embarrassing encounter with Bill Clinton, fundraising $500,000 in 1988 with a 2500 mile walk, the death-threats and abuse she suffered in the race relations role and why she’d never do it again, her issues with High-Performance Sport NZ and much, much more.
This one was an epic. Dame Susan has packed so much into her life and was incredibly open about all the highs and lows along the way. She also has a lot to still give, and in the second half you’ll hear the passion is still there to make change. We loved this chat, and know you will to.
