Cheryl Riley is the author of Guts and Determination: History Makers in Westland, published in March 2018. She reported on the West Coast for over 30 years as a photo journalist for the Hokitika Guardian and other papers, and is also a black sand gold miner and a registered whitebaiter. She continues to compete in local triathlons. Cheryl was born in Christchurch in 1947.