Madonna Harris

Madonna Harris

MBE

Personal information
Birth name	Madonna Mary Gilchrist
Born	(1956-08-15) 15 August 1956 (age 68) Hamilton, New Zealand
Sport
Country	New Zealand
Sport	Cross-country skiing Cycling
Medal record Representing  New Zealand Women's track cycling Commonwealth Games 1990 Auckland Individual pursuit World Championships 1990 Maebashi Individual pursuit

Madonna Mary Harris MBE (née Gilchrist, born 15 August 1956) is a New Zealand multi-sportswoman who has competed for New Zealand at both the Summer and Winter Olympics.^[1] The only other New Zealander to compete at both Olympics is Chris Nicholson.

At the 1988 Winter Olympics at Calgary she came 40th in the 20 km free technique cross-country skiing event.

She did not finish in the cycling road race at the 1988 Summer Olympics, but in the race she pushed the pace until she had to withdraw with a puncture late in the race.

At the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, Harris won a gold medal in the 3000m individual pursuit, and came fourth in the 72 km road race. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1990 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to cycling.^[2]

Born in Hamilton, Harris was the Waikato pentathlon champion and represented New Zealand in athletics (400m hurdles) in 1977 and basketball in 1977–78. In 1978 she went on an athletics and basketball scholarship to Utah State University. She took up cross-country skiing and became a professional ski instructor. Then at 28 she slipped on ice while running, and only being able to ride for several weeks took up cycling. She decided to retire in 1992 before the Barcelona Olympics because of health problems, moved to a hobby farm south of Auckland, and took up the emerging sport of endurance horse racing.