Date: Friday, 27 July 2012
Posted by: Cycling Southland

Life member Lyn Randall flanked by President Lindsay Jordan and Steve CannyLyn Randall was awarded a Life Membership of Cycling Southland at yesterday's 2012 Annual General Meeting. What follows is a short ride through Lyn's massive contribution to the sport and to Cycling Southland, as delivered by Steve Canny at the AGM.

Born in 1947, Lyn’s early Sporting Early achievements were in athletics.
•    1958 Lyn won his first Harrier Race, aged 10
•    Lyn raced extensively through School years in Athletics on Track, Harriers and cross country with his twin brother Kit.
•    1964 He left Southland Boy High School after 4 year with Blues in Athletics, Harriers, Cross Country, Basketball and as Senior Athletic Champion
•    1966 Won NZ Junior National Title in 120 Yard Hurdles 2nd NZ Junior National Title in 220 Yard Hurdles

Lyn was known for his impeccable hurdling technique and reportedly never hit a hurdle in any of his races.
•    1967 Lyn won NZ Senior National Title in 440 Yard Hurdles
•    1968 3rd NZ Senior National Title in 440 Yard Hurdles after which he Retired from athletes due arthritis in his hips. He continued to run Harriers.
•    1972 Lyn came out of retirement to run in the Olympic Trials where he ran his personal best over the 440 hurdle distance.
1972-1982 was a busy period for Lyn and Denise he continued to run Harriers, the young couple married, had 3 talented children Pieta-Jo, Nicholas and Matt.
•    1982 Competed in the inaugural “Coast to Coast” as an individual alongside his 2 brothers Kit 10th and Rex 13th, he beat both of and finished 8th overall. He had a very powerful final cycle leg and this is when he decided that bike racing might be for him.
1982-1990 Lyn raced competitively on the road in the local cycling scene with his brother Rex. Rex later went on to represent Southland at National level and in the Tour of Southland

The Randall family at the AGMIn 1983 he had serious accident while training with Tom Pryde around the Awarua Circuit and smashed shoulder which set him back a while. Tom thought that Lyn was dead he was lying motionless in the middle of the road a lady stopped who was nurse and Lyn came back to life, Tom called the ambulance and they headed off to Hospital and a young intern told Lyn that he had a sprained shoulder and to take a couple of disprins and to go home Lyn, Denise and Tom then noticed Paul Wilson who was the orthopaedic specialist who looked at Lyn’s ex-ray and immediately admitted him to hospital with multiple fractures.

In the late 1980’s Lyn’s own competitive cycling took a back seat when his 2 sons Nicholas and Matthew began to race at Novice Level. Lyn was great mates with the late Dave Grave, and it was Dave who gave Lyn’s Son Matt his first road bike so his cycling fait was sealed.

His focus shifted to the role of a supporting father and he spent most of his weekends for the next 15 years chasing bike races around Southland, NZ and latterly the World.
In the early 1990’s he became actively involved in the Novice Wheelers Club.

In 1991 despite being a non swimmer some might say that he was petrified when it came to water sports however Lyn over came his fears and became a very good paddler and he then went on to competed in the first Southern Traverse.

1996 & 2004 Lyn Travelled to Oceania Games, Commonwealth Games, World Champs and the Olympics to support his son.

1996-2004 Lyn’s greatest contribution to the sport of cycling probably came through this period where he was a Board Member and President of Cycling Southland and Board Member and President of Cycling NZ.

The 2 biggest achievements during this important period was amalgamation of all the clubs to form Cycling Southland as one entity and becoming the first cycling club in NZ to have full time paid staff member setting it down the path of viability.

Secondly in 1997 alongside Laurie Tall, Stephen Canny and others years of ground work on the Velodrome Project long before it was really even a reality.

Lyn then become involved in the administration of the sport at the highest level he served time on the Cycling New Zealand Executive and he was elected President of CNZ and held this position in 2001 2002 during a period of some of the most dramatic change in the administration of the Sport in New Zealand which saw the formation of Bike NZ a move that I am told Lyn was generally unhappy about as the motivations of the SPARC inspired initiative had, in his mind, some fundamental flaws.

Lyn was very keen on the Velodrome idea and he initiated the consultation with the local sporting codes; that had expressed an interest in being part of the project and as we all know this resulted in the successful development of the Invercargill Velodrome which is recognised internationally as the world’s fastest Velodrome.

Lyn stood down as president of Cycling in 2004.

Lyn has made a fabulous contribution to the sport of Cycling and it gives me great pleasure to commend Mr Lyn Randall for Life Membership of Cycling Southland.

Stephen Canny July 2012

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