Beginnings: Born June 23, 1989 at Tauranga; raised at Ohope Beach
Lineage: 
Maori dad and Pakeha mum
Height: 1.68m
Education: Massey University (Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics and Maori studies), Whakatane High School

Coach: Gordon Walker
Hobbies: Surfing
Watching
 TV
 can 
sometimes

 be
 a 
good 
thing
 for
 kids.

 Lisa 
Carrington
 was 
eight
 when
 she
 watched
 swimmer
 Danyon 
Loader 
and 
equestrian
 Blyth 
Tait
 win
 golds 
at 
the
 1996
 Summer
 Games
in 
Atlanta.
 She
 was
 so
 mesmerised, 
her
 father
 Pat 
said,
 “You
 should 
go 
to 
that. ”
Lisa,
 24,
 recalls
 that 
his 
comment 
stuck.

She followed older brothers Shaun and Brett into surf lifesaving and enjoyed competing – in particular, the surf ski. 
But after discovering it wasn’t an Olympic sport, switched to kayaking. Crossing over from surf lifesaving to kayaking 
is the same route travelled by 1980s 
Kiwi gold medallists Ian Ferguson, 
Paul MacDonald, Alan Thompson and Grant Bramwell.
“Then, about 2006 I think it was, dad heard Ferg (Ian Ferguson) was holding a camp in Rotorua and he thought it might be a good thing for me to do,” Lisa says
“So we went up there, and it was my first intro to Ferg.”

She started paddling the following year with Eastern Bay Canoe Racing Club, Whakatane, and says she has loved it ever since.
Last year, she delivered New Zealand’s 

fifth gold medal at the London Olympics in the women’s 
K1 200m canoe sprint.

Later in 2012 she was awarded New Zealand’s Maori Sportsperson of the Year, and Senior Maori Sportswoman of the Year, while this year she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year’s Honours for her services to kayaking.

Her next goal is the 2013 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Germany, August 27 to September 1. She has 
won all three K1 200m races in the 
World Cups and heads to Germany as 
a hot favourite.

At the World Cup in Poland, she beat six-time Olympic medalist and 26-time world champ Katrin Wagner-Augustin from Germany by a second. The chances of double success in August are high after another excellent showing in a new event for Lisa – the K1 500m she has added to her World Cup programme.

What 
is 
a
 typical
 day
 of 
training? 

“My day begins with a paddle in the morning of 1-1.45 hours, then gym, normally 1 hour, then a paddle session 
of an hour in the afternoon."

What
 are 
your 
top 
health
 tips? 
“They would have to include hydrating regularly, eating a variety of fruit and vegetables, and getting at least eight hours’ sleep.”

What
 Balance 
products 
do 
you use and why?
 “I mainly use Whey Protein which is important for my recovery after intense sessions on the water and after the gym. I also like the Energy Gels – great during long paddle sessions, and a boost at the end of the week when I’m fatigued but still want to get the most out of my sessions. Balance products help improve my recovery, which is key to my performance. It is important for me to be able to back up session after session."

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