Lisa Carrington

Flatwater canoeist, Lisa Carrington MNZM is known for her gold medal wins at both the World Championships and the Summer Olympics.

Originating from New Zealand, Carrington began paddling in 2006, before going on to win her first bronze medal in the K2 1000m at the 2009 World Cup regatta in Hungary, quickly followed by her first gold medal win in the same event at the 2010 World Cup regatta in France. Since competing in the ICE Canoe Sprint World Championships, Carrington has gone on to win an array of medals throughout her career, including an impressive ten gold medals. She also became the first female sprint paddler from New Zealand to win a gold at the World Championships when she won her first gold medal in the K1 200m during 2011 in Hungary. A national record holder, Carrington achieved this coveted title in the K1 200m during her performance at the 2015 World Championships in Italy. After qualifying for the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, Carrington successfully took home a gold medal in the K1 200m, an achievement she later repeated at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, along with a bronze in the K1 500m.

Of her many accolades as an athlete, in 2012, Carrington was named New Zealand’s senior Māori sportswoman and overall Māori sportsperson of the year. She was later appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2013 for her services to kayaking. More recently in 2016, she was awarded Sportswoman of the year and the Supreme Award at the Halberg Awards.