CHANNEL INTERVIEW: DAME LISA CARRINGTON
Dame Lisa Carrington - lifestyle on the Shore Already honoured with the title MNZM (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit), Forrest Hill resident Lisa Carrington was honoured with a DNZM (Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit) for her services to canoe racing in the 2022 New Year’s Honours. Lisa is New Zealand's most successful Olympian, having won a staggering six Olympic medals (five gold, one bronze). She won her first Olympic gold at London 2012 in the K1 200. At Rio in 2016 she claimed the K1 200m title, and also snared K1 500m bronze to become the first double female medallist from New Zealand at a single Olympic Games. The Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 were Lisa's third Olympic appearance. She competed in the four boats, winning gold in the K1 200 and 500, and gold alongside teammate Caitlin Regal in the K2 500. On the World Championship stage, Lisa has won ten world championship golds – including seven successive K1 200m titles - and a total medal haul of 17. Raised in Ohope Beach, she is a four-time winner of the Sportswoman of the Year award at the Halberg Awards. In 2016 she claimed the Halberg Supreme Award and in 2021 was presented the honour of Halberg Sportswoman of the Decade. She was also judged as the most influential Maori sports personality of the past 30 years. Christine Young invited her to share her thoughts about life on the Shore.. Channel Magazine: You live on the Shore now, but you’re not originally from here. Please tell us about your journey from Tauranga and Ohope to the Shore and why you chose to live here? Dame Lisa: I’ve lived on the North Shore for over 12 years now and while Ohope will always be ‘home’, the Shore is very much where I live now. I love it.
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Issue 130 - May 2022 www.channelmag.co.nz
Dame Lisa Carrington. Photo credit: Under Armour NZ/ Jo Caird.
CM: How important are the training facilities you use here – where are they, and what is your Shore-based training regime? DL: I paddle on Lake Pupuke most days; it’s definitely where I spend most of my time on the water. All my other training facilities – such as my gym, physio, pilates studio etc – are located on the Shore as well. CM: Do you have training partners here? How do you motivate yourself to get out on the water (presumably on a daily basis?) especially when it’s windy? DL: Yes, I train with the high-performance squad. We train in all conditions and just adapt as we need to with the weather. CM: You were once potentially a professional netballer and also had success in surf ski competitions. What led you to commit to canoe racing? DL: I originally took up kayaking in the surf life saving off-season (to help with my surf ski paddling). However, I really enjoyed it and decided to make it my primary sport when I was 17 years old. CM: What do you like best about living on the Shore? DL: We have a great lifestyle on the Shore – lovely beaches, good cafēs and easy access to lots of open space. CM: Knowing you have a rather gorgeous dog – what are the best places for dog walking on the Shore? DL: Colin really enjoys the coastal tracks around the East Coast Bays. CM: What’s your: • Favourite beach on the Shore? Campbells Bay would have to be my favourite. • Favourite Shore restaurant or cafē? Coffee Lab in Wairau Valley • Favourite time-off thing to do on the Shore? Explore different tracks and trails with my dog, Colin.
