Two more in Hall of Fame

Two more in Hall of Fame

Two former students of Ōtaki College have been recognised for their achievement by being inducted into the XŌtaki College Hall of Fame.

Lincoln Nicholls and Kathy Tracey are the fourth duo honoured by the XŌtaki College Alumni Trust. They join David Pritchard and Chris Parkin (2018), Jackie Sutton and Peter Housiaux (2021), and John Barrett and former principal Rex Kerr (2023).

Both Lincoln and Tracey can claim some remarkable achievements since they walked out the gates of Ōtaki College for the last time.

LINCOLN NICHOLLS

Lincoln comes from a long-standing Ōtaki whānau. He has lived a life defined by leadership, service, and determination – from the sports fields of Ōtaki College to military deployments in Afghanistan and as a soon-to-be orthopaedic surgeon.

He first attended Ōtaki College in 1984, completing his final year as head boy in 1990. A natural all-rounder, he represented the school in rugby, swimming, athletics, basketball, volleyball, softball, and cricket. Those years built the foundation for a career of commitment to both people and community.

Initially drawn to education, he completed a diploma in teaching at Palmerston North College of Education, a bachelor of education at Massey University, and later a postgraduate diploma in bilingual teaching from Te Wānanga o Raukawa. But a deeper calling led him to medicine, and in 2001 he began studying for his medical degrees at the University of Otago.

By 2003, Lincoln had joined the Army as a medical officer cadet. He went on to serve as captain and medical officer from 2009 to 2014, including deployment to Bamyan, Afghanistan, where he provided frontline medical care as regimental medical officer.

After earning a fellowship in general practice, Lincoln turned his focus to orthopaedic surgery, completing a postgraduate diploma in surgical anatomy in 2016 and beginning advanced surgical training with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2018. He is set to achieve a fellowship in orthopaedic surgery this month, a milestone that will cap more than a decade of surgical training.

His medical career has taken him to hospitals throughout  the country, including Palmerston North, Taranaki, Wellington, Whanganui, Whangārei, and Hutt Valley. Throughout, Lincoln has been driven by a passion for hauora Māori, public service, and fostering Māori achievement in health.

Beyond medicine, he has built a life centred on family and endurance sport. In 2015, he proposed to partner Nora at the finish line of the New Zealand Ironman. They married in 2016 and are now parents to two children, Awarangi and Hauora.

Looking back, his journey from college head boy to army medical officer and future orthopaedic surgeon is one of dedication and achievement. For Lincoln, the values instilled in his school years remain at the heart of everything he does: leadership, service, and excellence.

KATHY TRACEY

Kathy Tracey’s life has been anything but ordinary. From surf lifesaving at Ōtaki Beach to becoming a Guinness World Record holder, international coach, and adventurer, her journey has spanned continents, oceans, and countless challenges.

Her sporting career began when she joined the Ōtaki Surf Club as a teenager. Told by her coach she “swam like a brick”, Kathy persisted, earned her certification, and went on to lead the lifeguard team at the beach. That determination became a hallmark of her life.

She soon found success in surf lifesaving carnivals, competing in board and surf ski events. This pathway led to selection for the New Zealand women’s flatwater canoe squad. In 1986 she represented her country at the Commonwealth Games demonstration event in Lake Placid, US, winning silver. World championship appearances followed before travel and professional ambitions took her offshore.

Armed with a social work degree from Massey University, Kathy left New Zealand in 1987 with just £50 and an unconfirmed job in London. What was meant to be an overseas adventure turned into three decades abroad. In the UK, she built a respected career as a child protection specialist before shifting into training, development, and eventually founding her own award-winning business.

Alongside professional achievements, Kathy pursued endurance adventures. She climbed Kilimanjaro, trekked the Great Wall of China, and hiked to Everest Base Camp. In Guernsey, she rediscovered rowing and won gold at the Offshore World Championships in 2004. The following year, she made history as part of the first women’s fours crew to row any ocean unassisted, completing the gruelling 5000km Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race. Their Guinness World Record effort raised more than NZ$135,000 for charity.

Kathy’s sense of purpose has always run alongside her passion for adventure. She raised further funds by running the London Marathon, supported conservation projects in Peru, and joined the “Sand Sisters” expedition in the Middle East, retracing ancestral desert pilgrimages.

Since returning to New Zealand in 2015, Kathy has continued to inspire as one of only three Master Credentialed Coaches in the country. She is a sought-after leadership coach, conference speaker, and facilitator with Outward Bound, where her love of the outdoors meets her belief in the power of challenge.

Never one to shy away from testing her limits, Kathy has more recently embraced ultramarathons. In February 2025, she completed her first 100km trail race, just months after recovering from a broken ankle.

For Kathy, the thread that runs through it all is clear: “Adventure and challenge teach us who we are – and how much more we’re capable of than we think.”