A Canberran devoted to rowing and upholding the Olympic ideal has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day honours.
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Robin Poke received the honour for services to the sport of rowing and the Olympic movement as an administrator, author and journalist.
He founded Australian Rowing magazine, is a former president of the ACT Rowing Association and was twice manager of Australian world championship rowing teams.
Mr Poke, 68, of Hughes, also attended three Olympic Games working in a media liaison role - Atlanta in 1996, Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004.
He has been president of the ACT Olympic Council since 2005 and was instrumental in rejuvenating the Olympians Club of the ACT.
Mr Poke said when he received embargoed confirmation of the honour last year, he thought it would be a request for him to write a citation for someone else. It was a shock to discover the honour was for himself.
''I was gobsmacked, basically,'' he said.
Mr Poke was also an ACT finalist for Senior Australian of the Year in 2011.
MEGAN DOHERTY
