The 79-year-old from the Gold Coast was presented with the award by the IOC President Jacques Rogge and chair of the IOC Women and Sport Commission Anita DeFrantz at a special ceremony in Lausanne.

"Not being an Olympian, this is an incredible honour," Pirie said.

"I will proudly accept the trophy on behalf of the Australian Olympic Committee and all Australian sportswomen."

Pirie's career as an athlete spanned 30 years.

She was a nationally-ranked track and field athlete in the 1950's winning everything including the 100 yards, 440y and 880y at the Queensland Championships in 1951 and 1952.

She was also the Queensland women's high jump champion in 1949 and a finalist at the 1950 Australian championships in the 220y, long jump, high jump, and 880y.

She finished second in the 880y and 440y at the 1954 Australian Championships, her chosen events, but unfortunately the events were not added to the Olympic programme until 1960, denying her a chance to compete at the Games for Australia.

Pirie also represented Australia in hockey in 1955 after she and others reformed the Valley Women's Hockey Club in Brisbane.

The club had disbanded during the Second World War and after only two years of playing hockey Pirie made the state team.

"I really enjoyed the team game and was happy to switch between the two, playing hockey in the winter and running in the summer," she said.

Like her running events, women's hockey was not added to the Olympic programme until Moscow 1980, long after she had finished competing internationally.

When her elite career ended Daphne began a long and distinguished career as a sport administrator, which saw her was elected to the Queensland Olympic Council in 1993, becoming its first female vice-president in 1997.

She was founding president of Womensport Queensland and is a director of Gold Coast Events Management.

She has been a Board member of the QLD Academy of Sport, President of the Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame and a life member of Hockey Australia.

"Daphne has been a role model to women in sport both in Australia and overseas and the award from the IOC is thoroughly deserved," said Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) secretary general Craig Phillips.

"Daphne has dedicated the majority of her life to supporting women and girls in physical and sports activities.

"She has done a tremendous job of raising the profile of women in sport at both the grass roots and elite levels."

Along the way she won the QLD Country Golf Championship in 1972 and qualified for the Australian Championships the same year and she also won eight gold medals and set records in the World Veteran Track and Field Championships from 1981-1998.

"Sport has been my life," Pirie added

"My great satisfaction is the acknowledgment of the outstanding achievements of women on the world sporting stage today."

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