We punch well above our weight as a sport and have proven success across multiple Olympic Campaigns in Canoe Sprint, as one of New Zealand’s best performing Olympic sports.
But it’s not all about high performance. We are actively focused on grassroots growth of paddling, removing barriers and helping to drive participation and engagement across all disciplines through smart, strategic initiatives.
There are three pillars to our organisation and strategic direction:
Build a large, diverse community of paddlers, coaches and volunteers, participating in a range of disciplines for fun, wellbeing and competition.
New Zealand kayakers consistently winning world and Olympic medals.
A talent pathway that consistently identifies and prepares the right athletes for high performance.
A healthy, vibrant sport providing a pool of talented athletes and opportunities for those athletes to achieve their goals in kayaking.
Connect kiwis with our sport and build a more engaged community through communication and technology
We acknowledge the richness of Aotearoa New Zealand’s culturally diverse communities and how all people, past, present and future, have and will shape our nation. We create welcoming and inclusive spaces for all of Aotearoa New Zealand’s many beautiful cultures. We celebrate the many diverse peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand and their contributions to our nation’s history and heritage. We recognise and honour Tangata Whenua – the foundation document te Tiriti o Waitangi, Tangata Moana (our Pacific peoples) in whakapapa (genealogies), histories, and pūrākau and all unique connections and all contributions to Aotearoa New Zealand’s paddling heritage in wayfaring and waka-building expertise.
We aspire to be respectful of all communities and in particular be te Tiriti o Waitangi honouring in heart, mind and act and we are committed to continuously building our understanding and cultural competency in Te Ao Māori. To do this we:
We are encouraging of all people in New Zealand to paddle, and aim for paddling to be accessible and inclusive, including providing accessibility for Tāngata Whaikaha (people with disability).
