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Stella Lenihan
Biography
BiographyPictured in the October 26, 1993 'Leader' with gold medals from the Oceania championships; women over 60 kg, and membership of a three-woman team. She was ranked fourth in the world, after seven years' Kei Shin Kan karate.
She lived in Point Howard, and had been teaching Upper Hutt children for some time; on November 1 she would be running a karate school at 585a Fergusson Drive, next to Twigland. The November 1 advertisement for NZ Kei Shin Kan Karate Do did not mention her name; just Mark Rennell, 5th Degree, and 'past & present NZ champions'.
Pictured in the 'Leader in May 1994 with the gold medal she had won in the New South Wales State karate champs.
She won the women's division over-60kg section, winning all her bouts. There were only four other competitors but the standard was very good, she said.
Pictured again in August 1994 with English champion Mollie Samuel, who had been brought to New Zealand to help coaching for the world championships in Malaya in December.
In November she was pictured with medals from the national and Oceania championships. Stella was placed first in every event she entered in - both the women's 60kg+ and women's open sections at Tahiti and first in the women's 60kg+, women's open and women's teams events at the nationals.
In March 1996 she accompanied a team of Hutt Valley youngsters to the New South Wales championships as their coach.
In September 1998 she was pictured with Amanda Edlin after a return test in South Africa, which the New Zealand women's team had won; they had lost earlier in the year, at Lower Hutt.
On December 2, 1998 the 'Leader' reported her as the speaker at the Upper Hutt College sports and cultural prizegiving; and on December 23 that she had retired from international competition at 33, and had been appointed high-performance coach of the national women's team.
She advertised in the August 18, 1999 'Leader'; "Our future is our juniors / Discover karate with Stella Lenihan"; the address was upstairs at 585a Fergusson Drive.
The May 17 2000 'Leader' named her as one of three finalists for Wellington Novotel coach of the year
There was a series of 'Young Ones' pictures taken in KSK Karate in March 2003. In the same month's Upper Hutt Sportsperson of the Year awards she won senior coach and special achievement awards. She was pictured in April with three medal winners (presumably her students); Gemma Falleni was primary girls' winner. The article also described her as New Zealand national coaching selector.
In the April 2004 event, she won an award for coaching karate.
She retired from international coaching in 2006
She lived in Point Howard, and had been teaching Upper Hutt children for some time; on November 1 she would be running a karate school at 585a Fergusson Drive, next to Twigland. The November 1 advertisement for NZ Kei Shin Kan Karate Do did not mention her name; just Mark Rennell, 5th Degree, and 'past & present NZ champions'.
Pictured in the 'Leader in May 1994 with the gold medal she had won in the New South Wales State karate champs.
She won the women's division over-60kg section, winning all her bouts. There were only four other competitors but the standard was very good, she said.
Pictured again in August 1994 with English champion Mollie Samuel, who had been brought to New Zealand to help coaching for the world championships in Malaya in December.
In November she was pictured with medals from the national and Oceania championships. Stella was placed first in every event she entered in - both the women's 60kg+ and women's open sections at Tahiti and first in the women's 60kg+, women's open and women's teams events at the nationals.
In March 1996 she accompanied a team of Hutt Valley youngsters to the New South Wales championships as their coach.
In September 1998 she was pictured with Amanda Edlin after a return test in South Africa, which the New Zealand women's team had won; they had lost earlier in the year, at Lower Hutt.
On December 2, 1998 the 'Leader' reported her as the speaker at the Upper Hutt College sports and cultural prizegiving; and on December 23 that she had retired from international competition at 33, and had been appointed high-performance coach of the national women's team.
She advertised in the August 18, 1999 'Leader'; "Our future is our juniors / Discover karate with Stella Lenihan"; the address was upstairs at 585a Fergusson Drive.
The May 17 2000 'Leader' named her as one of three finalists for Wellington Novotel coach of the year
There was a series of 'Young Ones' pictures taken in KSK Karate in March 2003. In the same month's Upper Hutt Sportsperson of the Year awards she won senior coach and special achievement awards. She was pictured in April with three medal winners (presumably her students); Gemma Falleni was primary girls' winner. The article also described her as New Zealand national coaching selector.
In the April 2004 event, she won an award for coaching karate.
She retired from international coaching in 2006
Photos
Details
Family
Stella Lenihan. Upper Hutt City Library, accessed 01/04/2026, https://uhcl.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/24100