28/10/2026
Last evening at our 2026 Sports Awards, Gary O'Brien was the recipient of our lasting legacy jersey. "Leave everything in a better place than you found it." This simple yet powerful philosophy is the heartbeat of our Lasting Legacy award that was created earlier this year. It recognizes those who commit their time, talent, and energy to create positive change within our school and sport.
As of February 2027, Gary will have completed a remarkable 35 years of service to this college through sport and employment. This year alone, he has taken on our 1st XI Cricket as co-coach/manager/umpire/driver as well as doing the exact same for our 1st XI Football Boys and Under 15 and 17 Football Boys who both won their respective divisions this year. Gary's impact on our college goes far beyond just the teams he's coached and managed, he was employed as the school counselor here in 1999, a position he held for 20 years! He has worn numerous hats during his remarkable 35 years associated with Horowhenua College and helped shape thousands of lives both as a coach, mentor and guidance counselor.
'Leave the shirt in a better place than you found it.' - Gary you have done exactly that! This red shirt is built upon people like yourself who have given so much yet looked for nothing in return. If the world had a few more Gary O’Briens in it, we would be all the better off.
Congratulations Gary, Lasting Legacy Inductee Number 2.
