Dame Lisa Carrington and Gordon Walker have been honoured with life memberships by Canoe Racing New Zealand (CRNZ) in recognition of their exceptional contributions and service to the sport.
Lisa Carrington: A Legacy of Excellence
Dame Lisa Carrington is celebrated as the nation’s most successful Olympian. Her illustrious career includes a remarkable nine Olympic medals spanning four Olympic Games —eight gold and one bronze— and 15 ICF World Championship titles. At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, she further solidified her legendary status by winning three gold medals in the women’s K1 500m, K2 500m, and K4 500m events. These golds put New Zealand at the top of the nations’ medal table in the Canoe Sprint programme. Beyond her medals, Carrington’s humility and grounded nature have made her beloved in New Zealand. She represents the values of hard work and focus, and she continues to inspire new generations of young kiwis to take up kayaking and push the limits of their own potential.
Gordon Walker: A Pillar of Coaching Excellence
Gordon Walker, affectionately known as “Gordy,” has been instrumental in shaping New Zealand’s canoe sprinting success. Since 2010, he has been the coach of Lisa Carrington, guiding her to numerous victories, including her Olympic triumphs. Gordon took on the Lead Coach role for the New Zealand women’s squad in 2016 and has led the Women’s K4 crew of Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin, Tara Vaughan and Olivia Brett to a historic world championship gold in 2023 (first ever K4 World title for NZ, male or female) and an Olympic gold in 2024. A strong K4 programme has opened the door for so many future athletes with more opportunities for NZ kayakers available than ever before.
A Partnership of Unprecedented Success
The collaboration between Carrington and Walker has been a cornerstone of New Zealand’s prominence in international canoe racing over the last 15 years. Their partnership exemplifies the synergy between athlete and coach and their combined efforts have not only elevated New Zealand’s status in the sport but dramatically grown the profile of kayaking and the opportunities available in New Zealand.
Canoe Racing New Zealand’s Recognition
In acknowledging their outstanding contributions, Canoe Racing New Zealand presented life memberships to both Lisa Carrington and Gordon Walker at the annual CRNZ Awards ceremony in Rotorua on Saturday evening.
CRNZ Chairman Greg Adlam said “Both Lisa and Gordy strive for continuous improvement and to be the best they can be and that spills over to so may others in our sport, be that on the water or off the water, and also the broader paddling / watersport community in New Zealand. 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 families commitments to that journey.”
This honour reflects their enduring impact on the sport and their unwavering commitment to excellence and serves as a testament to their legacy and the profound influence they have had on the development and success of canoe racing in New Zealand.
