DAME LISA'S PRIDE - 'THIS WIN WAS INCREDIBLY SPECIAL'

Why an historic sporting victory means so much to our world champion kayaker

- Hayley McLarin

Dame Lisa Carrington has won more Olympic gold medals than any other Kiwi athlete, standing proudly on the centre of the podium as the national anthem plays in her honour an astounding five times.

Every single one is special, she says, and she’s proud of them all. But her most recent gold medal from the Canoe Sprint World Championships, which she shares with three others – her K4 teammates – is unique.

Lisa, 34, and her fellow kayakers Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett and Tara Vaughan became not only the first New Zealand K4 to win the world champs, but they were also the first squad from the Southern Hemisphere – a huge achievement given the team is in its infancy.

“I’m incredibly proud of these women,” Lisa tells Woman’s Day. “Winning gold was so special, knowing where we’d come from in just two seasons together. Compared to the squads, we were fairly newly formed, almost like we’d started from scratch.

“I’ve raced in so many Olympics and world champs, where I’ve had to be self-reliant as they were individual performances. But this was a real team effort, which makes it even more special for me. I’ve got huge respect for each individual in the team.

“We’ve done a lot of work talking about what we want to achieve, which requires people to be honest, open and trusting, to help us understand each other. It’s taught me I can be in a team more than I thought I could. I care for these girls so much. Their support, trust and care have taught me so much.”