“If I get a little bit sick, I’ll adjust it. I believe that you don’t have to miss training. I’ll do exactly what is written – because if I do more, I might not be able to turn up the next day. Or the day after that.
“Sometimes you might think ‘man, I feel really good today, I’m just going to do an extra rep or an extra set’, but really our training program is for a bigger purpose.
“It’s not for that moment, it’s for six months down the road. Or a year down the road. That’s why I’m so consistent because I do exactly what’s required – and it’s now an ingrained habit. I don’t want to do more than I have to.”
In the podcast, Carrington also talks about her relationship with self-doubt and high performance and how she dealt with race-day pressure in Tokyo, where she won three Olympic gold medals.
“One of the main things when I first figured out how to be a high-performance athlete was to turn up. Then try to find the joy in turning up. Because I actually love paddling. I wasn’t turning up because I had to be there. I do it because it’s my choice. Also, you can’t be where you want to be tomorrow. It will take time, but you have to be on it all the time. Small bits, all the time. Being an athlete is about prioritising. You are going to be tired most of the time.”
With the nickname of “the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in the boat”, Carrington was recently named most influential Māori sports personality of the past 30 years and made a Dame in the 2022 New Year honours list.
“As I’ve got older, I realise that what I get to do, I’m not going to be able to do it forever, so I’m grateful for every moment. Tomorrow, or next year, I may not be able to do paddling. It will suddenly be gone and the next part of my life will have started. It’s about the journey – and it helps that things don’t have to be perfect.”
In the podcast, Carrington also shares stories of her passport slip-ups, gym playlists, superstitions, the power of journalling, and all the best and most entertaining stories from a life on the road.
Show notes | Episode 116 | Dame Lisa Carrington
2:05: Halberg Awards, table seating, and wardrobe malfunctions
6:40: A loose circle: gym playlists, red sunglasses, claiming the master bedroom
12:38: Lisa and her passport
18:50: Consistency
20:52: The early years in Whakatane
29:13: “…she uses kayaking to be a better person…”
33:08: Lisa’s attitude to training
40:30: Inside the mind of a champion: Tokyo 2021
47:08: Dealing with self-doubt
52:23: Winning the gold medal to become New Zealand’s most decorated Olympian
55:31: Lisa on coaching and building on your foundations
1:01:42: The power of journaling
1:04:24: Covid chat
1:08:44: What’s next?
1:10:19: Being in the hurt locker
1:14:11: A night out after the gold medal in London
1:18:55: Fame (here and abroad)
1:22:22: Recognising accolades
1:26:06: Last words from Steve, Seamus and Lisa
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