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Olympian Jacko Gill earns place on new postal stamps, much to delight of stamp collecting dad

October 23, 2020

Jacko Gill’s dad, Walter, now has a stamp unlike any other in his collection.

After years of collecting, proud dad Walter Gill now has a postal stamp that can rival the value of his entire collection.

Gill’s son, Olympic shot-putter Jacko Gill, is one of six athletes to feature on the latest release of postal stamps, commemorating 100 years of New Zealand involvement in the Olympic Games.

Walter’s interest in stamp collecting started when he was a child, and the lifelong hobby even proved to be helpful when it came to buying his first home.

“I started as a boy and I saved or collected for quite a few years till I sold that collection,” he said.

“That became my deposit on my first house.”

Stamp collecting also became a part of Jacko’s upbringing, with the Kiwi Olympian saying he used to watch his father track down the next stamp for his collection.

“That was part of our childhood. Dad would always be on the computer looking for stamps - searching eBay, Trade Me, all the auction sites,” he said.

Given the family association, the 25-year-old applied for the opportunity to feature on the new stamps, making no secret of his father’s passion.

“I mentioned Dad and told them how much it would mean for me to be on a stamp, so they were very nice. Obviously, there’s better athletes out there but to be chosen was very special,” he said.

The sale of the stamps will also contribute to next year’s Tokyo campaign, and it seems Gill’s stamp will be doing the bulk of the fundraising.

Much to the pair’s delight, Gill features on the $4 stamp, most expensive in the collection.

Although, the seasoned collector noted a potential downside to being on the most valuable stamp.

“The only problem with that is, to get more it’s going to cost more,” Walter laughed.

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