DameLoisJoanMuir

Netball coach and administer, a former representative netball and basketball player and author

Dame Lois

Born: 1935Where: Born and raised in Mataura Southland New ZealandEducated: Otago Girls High School in DunedinAge: 80Siblings: a sisterMarried: She was married to Murray Muir who died in 2004Does she have children: three sons

Career

Where did she start: Dame Louis started off playing for Otago in both Netball and Basketball in 1950- 1964.Basketball: she played for New Zealand in 1952- 1962Netball: She represented New Zealand in 1960- 1964 when international play was rareWas she a good player: She was an outstanding player in the New Zealand team that lost the first world final title in 1963 by one goalWhat did she do after Netball: She coached the Silver ferns for 15 years until 1988, when they won two world netball championships in 1979 and 1987. After she “retired,” she continued in the netball industry as a national selector and has served on several sporting bodies such as Netball New Zealand, the Hillary Commission, the Sports foundation, the Masters Games and the New Zealand Sports Hall Of Fame.

Accomplishments

On 8th September 2009, Lois officially became Dame Lois Joan Muir in a ceremony held specifically for her in Dunedin. The was a ceremony originally in Wellington where 65 other New Zealanders were pronounced as knights or dames but she was unfortunately unable to attend so she was held her own one. She was made a Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004 for services in sports administration and netball. She also received an OBE in 1983. Lois did not accept the award for herself but for her husband Murray.

Obstacles

On Friday 1998 Louis Muir found out that she was diagnosed with breast cancer, a day before she had to fly to Hamilton to prepare her Wellington team for the National Champs the following week. She didnt tell her girls until the debriefing after the tournament. They had finished in runners up[ and one of the girls said, “if we had known, we would’ve won for you.”

Although she had breast cancer, she didn't let it slow her down and if anything, she became more busy. She said that she always enjoyed finding herself little projects. Both her mother and sister were diagnosed at the age of 50 with breast cancer so when Lois reached 60 without any she thought she was home free until an ultra sound picked up on it.

After her treatment, Lois took p[art in a five- year research programme in Otago Hospital

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