Dame Lisa Carrington is a role model to countless Kiwi kids. Photo / Woman's Day
Dame Lisa Carrington is a role model to countless Kiwi kids. Photo / Woman's Day
After her incredible success at the Olympic Games, the kayaking superstar is taking the opportunity to teach a new generation.
She’s our most successful Olympian of all time – a kayaking superstar, a role model to countless Kiwi kids and an all-round legendary New Zealander.
But for the next few weeks at least, all Dame Lisa Carrington wants to be is just Lisa from Ōhope as she recovers from a gruelling but great Olympic campaign that’s seen her bring home three gold medals from Paris.
Chatting exclusively to Woman’s Day on her way back to Aotearoa (specifically in a corner of Dubai International Airport with her three gold medals tucked safely in her luggage), Lisa, 35, is pretty knackered but very happy and absolutely chomping at the bit to finally be home after four months in Europe.
The gold medalist is excited to be home after four months. Photo / Woman's Day
“I’ve loved it, but there’s no place like home,” she says. “I’m planning on at least a week of doing nothing at all and laying low, which I’m really looking forward to. It’s been a long time to live out of a suitcase. I’ve missed the little things, like, I haven’t cooked in four months, I haven’t been doing much washing or cleaning, that kind of thing.
“Oh, that’s sounds terrible,” she laughs. “But it’ll be so nice to be a normal person again and do normal things. Although I’ll probably leave my plate at the table and expect someone to pick it up for me!”
Of course, Lisa (of Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki and Ngāti Porou descent) will be coming back to Aotearoa even more of a legend than when she left – she’s now won a staggering nine Olympic medals, eight of them gold. This year’s haul includes golds for the K-1 500m sprint (her single race) and her team K-2 500m and K-4 500m sprints. Many have dubbed her the GOAT – greatest of all time.
“It’s not something I’ll be putting in my Instagram bio or anything,” she says humbly, when asked how she feels about being labelled as such. “But it’s very nice that people think that.
“I still can’t believe everything that’s happened – it’s wild. I remember being a kid at school doing projects on the Olympics and now I’ve got to do it. It’s something I could have never dreamed of. But as much as it’s wild, it’s also about remembering who I am and making sure I haven’t changed. I remind myself that I’m still the same!”
Lisa says her Paris experience was incredible, with being able to “meet the pressure of the moment” her standout memory.
“There was so much pressure, but I felt like I could meet it,” she says. “The best thing I could do was think about how much I enjoyed the paddling, which I loved.”
She felt all of New Zealand’s support every time she lined up for a race.
The star athlete says her Paris experience was incredible. Photo / Woman's Day
“We had such a big Kiwi contingent in the stands, although admittedly I had to, at times, remind myself to focus on the start line because they were so loud!” she recalls. “I had been purposely keeping myself away from what’s been happening at home and all the social media to keep focus, but I did see bits and pieces, and knew there was so much support there, which I’m so grateful for.
“Representing my country has always been so amazing for me, as well as making people proud to be a Kiwi and instil pride in wearing the fern – it’s a very special byproduct of what we do. I love that we as athletes in New Zealand can do that.”
Now a veteran of four Olympics – she was just 23 when she won her first gold medal in London in 2012 – Lisa herself has changed drastically over those 13 years, morphing from the exciting young gun to the experienced and lauded superstar on the water. She also married her longtime love, Michael, (affectionately known as Bucky) in 2022, and credits him with being the most supportive partner and a true constant in her life.
While she was apart from most of her friends and family for four months, Bucky was able to be with her for eight weeks or so, a welcome slice of normality for the star kayaker as she prepared to defend her Olympic titles.
Dame Lisa was just 23 when she won her first gold medal in London in 2012. Photo / Woman's Day
“That made such a big difference for me,” she tells. “I was working so hard, but then I could come back and have my person there, that little slice of home. It made all the difference and it was so helpful. We’re so connected to the world, but you do get stuck in this new way of life quite quickly. I’m actually terrible at keeping in touch with everyone, I’m sorry!”
Now she’s back home, Lisa’s looking forward to walks on the beach, catching up with friends and family, and time away from her strict training regime – although she loves the water so much, she’ll probably still indulge in a little bit of paddling here and there!
She’s also gearing up to launch a brand-new project, and it’s one that people might not quite expect. Introducing Dame Lisa Carrington – children’s book author!
“I never thought I’d be doing this,” she laughs. “But it’s been so fun. We began the process during the Covid lockdowns actually, so it’s taken a while, but it’s finally here. Both of my parents are teachers, so maybe I’ve inherited that inclination to share and teach, and this is my way of doing so.”
Introducing Dame Lisa Carrington – children’s book author. Photo / Woman's Day
Illustrated children’s book Lisa Carrington Chases A Champion is about a young girl – Lisa – who’s about to enter a surf competition but is scared she’s not good enough. The story’s theme centres around resilience and Lisa aimed to include lessons that even she herself needs to relearn from time to time.
She explains, “There are messages in there that I could remind myself of, which I’m really happy about. I’m really grateful to have this platform to be able to share this. And I’m also stoked that it’ll be published in both English and te reo Māori.”
Might she even read it to her own kids one day?
She laughs, saying, “Yeah, I have a lot of my friends’ kids in my life, so this will take care of Christmases and birthdays for a while!”
But for now, Lisa will be off enjoying some hard-earned downtime, as well as reflecting on her incredible accomplishments and – eventually – making some decisions about her future.
“It’s a bit of a weird time,” she acknowledges. “You do get the blues that the Olympics is all over – it’s what you’ve been aiming for so long – and now you just retreat into your own little world. It takes a minute to find your way back to normal because there’s a lot of hype. It’s tricky to find my own centre again.
“But it’s also the time for a bit of a reset and there are probably some new opportunities to take, and a few things to work out and decisions to make. I mean, I don’t even know what those are yet! I’m just going to give myself some space and time to have a really clear head and make good choices.”
And with that, after a cheery goodbye that belies her tiredness, she hangs up – and hopefully goes in search of a very well-deserved glass of bubbles in an airport lounge!
