Jan's still making waves

The Olympic legend opens up about life after sporting greatness and navigating a male-dominated world.

- JUDY BAILEY

She is the wise, calm, thoughtful voice of TVNZ’s America’s Cup coverage. Jan Shearer has quite simply been a joy to watch as we settled in for a feast of nail-biting action. It seemed, for a few weeks, as if the nation was overnight experts on all things yachting. Fortunately, Jan was there to keep us grounded. She lives, as befits a yachtie of her mana, on a clifftop overlooking the shimmering waters of Auckland’s WaitemataÌ„. From her eyrie beneath a generously spreading poÌ„hutukawa, she can keep an eye on every windshift and current. In fact, American Magic’s spectacular capsize happened right in front of her house.

It’s a perishing hot Auckland day when we meet. I arrive on her doorstep puffing and sweaty (in my defence, hers is a steep drive). She welcomes me in, still every inch the athlete. A mother of two adult children, she is taut and trim.

She is the wise, calm, thoughtful voice of TVNZ’s America’s Cup coverage. Jan Shearer has quite simply been a joy to watch as we settled in for a feast of nail-biting action. It seemed, for a few weeks, as if the nation was overnight experts on all things yachting. Fortunately, Jan was there to keep us grounded. She lives, as befits a yachtie of her mana, on a clifftop overlooking the shimmering waters of Auckland’s WaitemataÌ„. From her eyrie beneath a generously spreading poÌ„hutukawa, she can keep an eye on every windshift and current. In fact, American Magic’s spectacular capsize happened right in front of her house.