Published in 2025
5 hours and 29 minutes
As Jenny-May Coffin, the author played netball for New Zealand, and was vice-captain in 2001. She also played for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in the National Bank Cup between 1998 and 2004 and the Auckland Diamonds in 2007; she also played one season for the Southern Steel in the ANZ Championship in 2008, and was signed to play with the Northern Mystics in 2010.
Since 2005, Jenny-May Clarkson has been a sports commentator and news presenter for TVNZ and Maori Television, and since 2020 has been one of the co-hosts on Breakfast. She lives in Manukau with her husband Dean Clarkson, and their twin sons.
What is this book about?
I stumble across a photo of me, aged ten. My immediate thought is: ‘Who is that girl?’ I remember her but I don’t recognise myself in her. She was so determined. Once she knew what she wanted, she’d just head straight for it.
From a childhood in rural Piopio, Jenny-May Coffin grew up to achieve international success as a Silver Fern and then began a stellar career on radio and television as a sports commentator and morning presenter. But outward success can often mask inner uncertainty, and Jenny-May lost her grip on the confidence her ten-year-old self possessed. The ups and downs of a full life, with tragedies as well as triumphs, left her in need of renewal. Here is the story of how she found self-confidence again, reclaiming strength and identity through her connections to te ao Māori, with the support of her husband, Dean Clarkson, and her close ties to her parents and siblings.
