World record-holding Australian sailor Lisa Blair has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to sailing in this year’s Australia Day Honours.

Blair hit the headlines in 2017 when she became the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica with one stop after surviving a dramatic dismasting at sea. She bettered her own record in 2022 when she completed the circumnavigation non-stop, a feat that won her the Australian Sailing Offshore Sailor of the Year Award.

“I am so incredibly honoured to be recognised in such a way alongside the other incredible award recipients today,” said Blair.

“There is the saying it takes a village to raise a child, and I feel that holds true for me. It takes a country to set world records, so thank you to Australia for your support, my family for always backing my projects, to my sponsors and all the people who have donated their time to support me as a volunteer, without you, none of this would have been possible.”

Blair completed her two Antarctic circumnavigations on her yacht “Climate Action Now”, amplifying her message of sustainability and collaborating with several scientific organisations such as the Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and the Seabed 2030 project. 

Lisa's commitment to ocean health was evident as she deployed eight weather drifter buoys, one A.R.G.O research float, collected round-the-clock ocean health readings, and gathered over 180 microplastic samples, all while braving the world's most treacherous ocean for 92 days. Through her partnership with Ocean Ops, Lisa's expedition earned recognition as a United Nations Decade of Ocean Science initiative.

“So far, together we have set eight world records in ocean sailing, completed valuable science in the Southern Ocean, reached millions with the Climate Action Now campaign and presented to over 100 schools reaching thousands of students,” concluded Blair.

“This is just the beginning as I work towards the Arctic Impact Project where I intend to build a sustainable boat from basalt rock and bio-resins and sail it solo, non-stop and unassisted around the Arctic Circle.”

Australian Sailing would also like to congratulate the many other members of Australian Sailing affiliated clubs who were recognised in the Australia Day 2025 Honours List.

Visit the Governor-General’s website to view the full list of recipients.