Lisa Carrington and Gordon Walker have been presented with life memberships by Canoe Racing New Zealand (CRNZ) at its annual awards ceremony.
Carrington has achieved nine Olympic medals — eight gold and one bronze — including the hat-trick at Paris 2024 and 15 International Canoe Federation World Championships titles.
Her outstanding performances in France ensured New Zealand topped the Canoe Sprint medals table.
Walker, meanwhile, has been instrumental in shaping New Zealand’s success in the discipline since 2010.
He coaches Carrington and has overseen the New Zealand women’s squad since 2016, guiding the women’s kayak four crew of Carrington, Alicia Hoskin, Tara Vaughan and Olivia Brett to a first-ever world title in the event for the country and the Olympic gold in 2024.
Their combined partnership has not only been a cornerstone of the Kiwi success in Canoe Sprint over the last 15 years but also influenced and developed the sport worldwide.
“Both Lisa and Gordy strive for continuous improvement and to be the best they can be and that spills over to so many others in our sport, be that on the water or off the water, and also the broader paddling/watersport community in New Zealand,” CRNZ Chairman Greg Adlam said.
“We are privileged to have such world-class kayaking ambassadors in our sport and this life membership is a great acknowledgement from all paddlers in New Zealand.
“We also acknowledge their lengthy journey in our sport and their family's commitments to that journey.”
The 2024 CRNZ Sports Awards saw Carrington claim the Female Canoe Sprint Athlete of the Year award.
The Male Canoe Sprint Athlete of the Year honour went to Peter Cowan. The women’s K4 team won Team of the Year.
Pictures by CRNZ.
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