Family Olympic inspiration

Steven Ferguson has always looked up to his inspirational father - quadruple Olympic champion Ian Ferguson.

Now the 31-year-old is a first-time Dad to 4-month-old son Flynn and he hopes to follow in his father's footsteps and inspire his son.

Kayak paddlers from around New Zealand converge on Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) in Rotorua today, tomorrow and Sunday, for this year's Canoe Sprint National Championships.

Up to 180 competitors of all ages gear up for some exciting racing, especially in the Open Men's and Women's races, where Olympic spots are up for grabs.

Along with his K2 paddling partner Gisborne's Darryl Fitzgerald, Steven is hoping to make his third and possibly last crack at Olympic glory.

"After this Olympics, I'm definitely looking at hanging up the kayak paddle and picking up the surf paddle. I'm the head coach for the Piha Surf Club, which is a really exciting role for me and it's helping me step back into the surf scene and have a look at the world championship scene ...

"If selected it would be my third kayaking Olympics. It's a long time to kind of be at your peak and working at a high level and also I've just got a 4-month-old little boy. So I want to spend a bit of time with him and my wife and enjoy his first years," Steven said.

"I want to be a good role model for my son. When I grew up I was watching my Dad race and he was a world beater and I'd sort of like to have him grow up watching his Dad succeed and do well and hopefully that motivates him to make something of himself."

Steven and Fitzgerald are looking to compete in the K2 200m and the K2 1000m at the London Olympics.

The pair will be joined this weekend by Ben Fouhy in the K1 200m and the K1 1000m and World champion Lisa Carrington who should be in fine form at this regatta and will race her specialist K1 200m, the K1 500m, as well as teaming up with K2 partner Erin Taylor.

Carrington and Taylor directly qualified the K1 and K2 boats at the 2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Hungary last year, however they must still perform to achieve Olympic selection.

Steven said Carrington's success had inspired the open men paddlers. "I think it's great having someone like Lisa doing so well at the moment. Just to know and remind ourselves that it can be done. It's good to have her and to be able to watch her last year do so well. So this year it will be a good opportunity to get the boys up on the dais."

Teneale Hatton is another open woman paddler hoping to make the cut in the K1 500m. She will be looking to show her progress on her pathway to peaking at Oceania and Olympic selection.

The recently selected Junior and under-23 squads will all be racing as well, with the 2012 Oceania Canoe Sprint Continental Championships less than a month away this regatta forms an important part of their build-up.

Racing gets under way today at 12pm and finishes on Sunday.