Sir John Walker was invested as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit by Governor-General, Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, at a ceremony at Government House in Auckland on 15 August 2009. Sir John was knighted for services to athletics and the community. Since being made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992 for his services to athletics, Sir John Walker has continued to be involved with sport and the community, in particular youth. He has served as a Manukau City councillor since 1998. He has also been involved with the provision of community based projects for young people and their families. In 2008, he established the John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation to provide young people with the opportunity to engage in sport.