Sophie Winton, of Hawke's Bay, has spearheaded the New Zealand women's under-21 team to a bronze medal at the canoe polo world championship in France.
The 21-year-old from Clive captained the team of eight Kiwis in Thury-Harcourt last month to the champs where Germany clinched gold and the hosts took silver in an eight-team competition where everyone played each other to pick the semifinalists.
"It was my first win overseas and it was amazing to do it in front of so many people," says the second-year Eastern Institute of Technology nursing student, claiming 8000 fans watched their third-fourth playoffs win over Great Britain to the tune of 7-5 goals. "It was also live streamed around the world."
The side beat Singapore 7-1, the Netherlands 7-0 and Canada 12-0 on the way to the playoffs, but lost 7-1 to France in pool play.
Ella Richardson, of the Bay, and Bay-born Sian Fendal, who now attends high school in Palmerston North, were part of the team.