By: Trevor Loudon
New Zeal

The police have just announced that Canterbury identity Jo Giles is among those confirmed killed by the Christchurch earthquake.

I knew Jo through our work together in the ACT political party, but thousands of Cantabrians and New Zealanders knew Jo through her broadcasting, sporting and community activities.

Jo represented New Zealand in pistol shooting at two Oceania Games and a World Cup. She was New Zealand’s first female jockey and competed in motorsport and rock ‘n’ roll competitions.

Jo was a hairdresser, office worker, psychopaedic nurse, training officer (teaching intellectually disabled), dairy owner, prison officer, sales person, radio announcer and for the past several years, a TV Presenter.

Jo was a very kind-hearted person, extremely community minded and very, very sociable.

She leaves behind four children Anna, Samantha, Olivia and James.

Jo Giles will be missed.