October 10, 2025 • 17 mins
Now an Olympic gold medal athlete, Finn Butcher has had quite the journey.
He’s been performing strongly on the world stage since his triumph in the Paris Olympic Games, and joined Lesley Murdoch for a chat about his journey and how life has changed for the “butcher man” from Central Otago.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Twenty fourteen, did you have your first competitive race?
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yeah? First international? Well, yeah, first international, big race. I
raced a few Junior Worlds and things before that, so
I think it was twenty eleven. I raced in America
at Junior World's. It was kind of the first first
step us both and then yeah, I raced a World
Cup twenty fifteen. I think so that's probably my first senior.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Race because it's interesting, you know when you for me,
you boost onto the scene at Paris, and you know
that's I guess, the anonymity of people who aren't playing
mainstream sports in this country. And I know, Paul Lloyd,
you've done a lot of work around supporting people. I
remember with the Yachtes, you were an exquisite supporter of them,
(00:48):
and also now you are of Fin Butcher. It's a
great thing you've done.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
You're doing, Yeah, so it takes a special connection to
do it. Leslie as well, and you know, it's like
enough Elli and I met and his partner Courtney in Paris.
We might have had a couple of Villa Maria Chardonnay's
under the belt and he did as well, and we
just connected and you really see how much they give
(01:11):
and how much they sacrifice, so that the aim was
to minimize that from a financial sense and just support
Finn and gather the gether the troops, I guess about
with sponsors around him, so he can focus on what
he does and he can compete and finish his sport
like all his mates, you know, not being penalized financially
by being successful.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Powerful last statement, Yeah, and it goes back to my
comment about the anonymity of what you do in our
sports media, that you don't get picked up until you
win back.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, yeah, pretty much.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I mean we're a small sport, and I guess there's
a lot of small sports in his ELLM that have
a similar kind of thing. But yeah, we rely a
lot on a volunteer base. And yeah, for me, especially
mainly parental support up until the last probably a couple
of years. So yeah, I'm hugely grateful for Paul and
(02:03):
all the sponsors of he's He's gone out and hunted
for me. So yeah, I mean it just means that
that we can train well right now, I can train
it and compete on a similar playing field to what
the guys in Europe have. I guess they have big
club structures and mostly kind of funded army or police stuff.
(02:28):
So yeah, there a all been kind of professionals, I
guess since they are fifteen or sixteen.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
And that to be fair, that's what we've tried to
do on this program is we're just a conduit for
what is happening in the christ Uching can. We are
very parochial's that's what we are meant to be doing.
And look, it's just great to have you in here,
like I know that there's lots of stories that we
can ask you. First of all, thank you for bringing
in the gold medal. Oh my goodness, it's heavy and
it's glittery, but it's a bit raggy. That the what
(02:58):
do you call it. It's not a rope, it's a ribbon,
Paris twenty twenty four. But it looks as it's seen
a bit of a hard life.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah. Yeah, well, you know, I think I finished finished
competing about five days before the end of the game,
so I had that thing in Paris for five days
around my neck basically, and it was pretty hot and
sweaty over there. And I think the ribbon's probably not
quite strong enough for the for the way to the middle,
but you know, probably especially when you've got it at
(03:26):
the at the Pabor or my club or whatever, but
why not.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, exactly. I wonder if you're going to bring that
just the ribbons not strong.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, you know it's probably useder era
as well, but yeah, and you know it's been through
a lot of sits of hands and that's something that
I'm really proud of. You know, I don't want it
to be locked away and no one ever see it
or experience it because there's so many people that are
part of it and help me and support me. So
(03:56):
showing them and showing it to as many people as
possible as is something that's really really cool. So yeah,
I mean if it gets a little scratched up and
the ribbon's got little tears in it, then that's all
good with me. But Mum managed to sew it up
and when I got home, so yeah, it's lives to
fight another day.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Oh nice words, exactly right. About the people that have
helped you get where you are, that's absolutely fantastic actually
talking of them. Courtney, your partner, she is in the
same sport as you. I mean, how do you manage
that between the two of you?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, it's pretty good.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Really.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
You know, it's good that we we basically travel and
compete together almost the whole year, so yeah, it'd be
pretty hard I think if we if we were doing
separate things. You know, we're traveling pretty much seven or
eight months of the year in different different stints, so
you know, it's good to be together for all that time.
(04:55):
And yeah, it's just you know, it takes a little
bit of work for us to kind.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Of manage.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Manage race weeks or race days together. So you know,
we've each got our own race that we need to
focus on and different expectations and things like that. So
you know, it's just, yeah, it's just supporting each other
as many ways as we can and yeah, trying to yeah,
trying to succeed together basically. So man, that's pretty cool.
(05:22):
I'm like, well, we're pretty lucky to be able to
do something like that together.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Yeah, you've got to be good enough, yeah, and have
the focus. And the other thing is I need to
know what the difference between slalom and kayak crosses, please.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Yeah, So I guess we'll start with the kayak cross
because it's probably what people saw the most of the
Paris so we're in kayaks that are I think two
point eight meters long and they're plastic, so you can
crash and bash and slide off the ramp and stuff obviously,
and they don't get broken. So they have to be
(05:56):
eighteen kilos and there's a few other little bits and
pieces they have to be. But and then we basically
race head to head four people down the course, a
different course to slalom. So the poles and kit cross
are a big inflatable boys and you're allowed to hit
them and touch them and stuff, and you don't get
penalized for that. You just have to go around them.
(06:18):
And then yeah, basically it's the first one to the
bottom wins, and it's kind of in like a tournament
brack bracket structure, so each heat, the first two from
each heat progress to the next round, and the bottom
two you get knocked out, so you pick up your
boat and go home. But yeah, and then the slalom
(06:38):
is more kind of our traditional style one, so that
has eighteen to twenty four gates and cross only has seven,
plus a roll zone you've got to go under upside down,
and slalom you get Basically, it's just a time troll,
so you buy yourself. You're against the clock and top
(06:59):
to bottom and you get penalized. If you touch the
poles you get two seconds out of your time, and
then if you miss a gate you get fifty seconds added,
so you're pretty much you're done for.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
That's what you were in recently. Wasn't that those.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Fild champs, both of them? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, but you got a personal best?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah I did, yes, So yeah, the World Champs actually
last week in Penrith in the west of Sydney. So
I was fourth in the slalom, so I was just
just behind a mitor. I think I was zero point
one three or something behind third, and then second was
only six hundreds in front of him. So yeah, not
(07:36):
too far off at being really really good. But yeah,
like you say, a personal biss for me in slalom
and fourth place, I'm pretty stoked with that. I actually
went down. So there's twelve twelve people in the final,
so what happens, I guess, go through the whole race,
we have a heat run where everyone in the field starts,
and then the top thirty qualify through to a semi
final just from that one run. So I actually finished
(08:00):
with two penalties, so four seconds added to my time
and then I was like, oh, that's probably gonna well,
that's definitely not gonna be good enough. But I didn't
think I hit two gates. And then they actually reviewed
it on the on the camera, they got loads of
camera angles and stuff and realized that the water had
just splashed off my boat and touched the pole, so
I didn't actually touch it, so they took one off
(08:21):
and so then I thought, okay, I'm probably gonna qualify now,
and I just squeaked in in twenty eighth place. So
you know, it's pretty cutthroat, and the course was set
out quite easy, so a lot of people probably don't know,
but in slom, we don't actually get to practice the
particular gates sit up, and so we just they set
it before the race the day before and we just
(08:43):
get to look at it and watch some people who
aren't racing negotiate it, and then the first time you're
down that it's on your race run. So the course
was set up quite easy, so the times were really tight,
and so one penalty put me down so many places,
but luckily they just squeaked in there.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Fraction of a second is the difference, that's right.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah. And then so then I raced the semi final,
the top thirty races semi final, and again had a
pretty good run, but hit the last the third last gate,
and us finished and oh man, I've done it again,
and I'm probably.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Go on TV and I saw abashed.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
I gave my head a little tap and you, moron,
I know if.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
You just joined us. We have got fun Botcher in
the studio and Paul Lloyd who has been his How
would you describe your mentor your financial mentorship?
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Is that what you are sponsorship? Man? Guess, yeah, raise
money for the young lad Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Paul Lloyd from Apollo Project so generous and obviously Finn
isn't the only athlete, Paul that you have supported, which
is fantastic. But let's talk about LA and You'll be
just about at the height of your athleticism, won't you
by the time LA comes around?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I hope.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
So yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
I mean it's I'm thirty now, that's correct. Yeah. Yeah.
So it's interesting that in our sport, like you know,
there's there's people that are eighteen and really really good,
you know, winning World Cup races and European championships. And
things like that, and then there's still people that are
in their mid forties that are in the top as well.
(10:22):
So there was someone in the final with me in
Stalom and Penrith last week who was I think forty three,
So you know's there's the peak.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
I don't know really, Lisa Carrington just gets better and better,
don't Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, totally. So you know, I think hopefully i'll be
I'll be taking along well in LA, and I think
we've started the cycle pretty well, you know, to top
five finishes at the World Champs last week, so I was, yeah,
fourth in Salomon, fifth and and cross and yeah, I'm
looking forward to it. We're actually our venue is actually
(10:56):
in Oklahoma City, which is nowhere near LA, but the load,
yeah it's right. There's already a Whitewater Stadium there, so
which makes sense. Yeah, they're quite as bits of big
things to build, so LA doesn't want to build a
new one.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Do you know when the schedulers like, are you able
to walk in with the New Zealand team?
Speaker 2 (11:13):
I have no idea too far out, Yeah, I don't know.
I guess if it's the same as Paris, then we'll
be cutting it fine. We actually started on the first day,
but my care degree wasn't until like day four or something,
so they had all day three. They had a few
days competition before I win. So if it's like that,
then maybe and we'll just fly into LA and fly back.
(11:36):
But I don't know. We've got to go through there's
a few processes we've got to go through there before
we can talk about if I'm going to opening set
your money.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah, I know, fear enough. I get that because I
think of the rowing and you might qualify the boat,
but it does not guarantee you the seat, that's right,
So it's pretty cut throat.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yeah, yeah, there's a few there's a few things we've
got to go through to get New Zealand actually a
boat there. So in the past it was basically just
based on one race, So the World Championships before the
year before the Olympics, and you had to be in
the top fifteen nations to qualify your country a quota.
(12:14):
So I did that in twenty twenty three and got
us a spot and then had to win that internally.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Same thing.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Yeah, same thing, so that this year or next time,
they're going to change it. While they're thinking about changing
it to more of over a series, so instead of
one race, it's going to be over sort of five, six,
seven races and then you kind of click points for
your country and then qualify through that. But yeah, same
thing we've got to get. We've got to get a
spot and then I've got to win that and then
(12:41):
we then we can talk about if I go Looey.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Have no guarantees even though you're a gold medal winner. Well,
I'm going to put it back on you. What's sign
it for you? Why do you do this?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I guess making a difference. You know, Apollo is a
great company. We've had now for I think next year
is our twenty fiftheen of you through and just been
able to give back. You know, I had a daughter
that was a high performance summary as you know, and
been very very lucky to be associated and see just
see what these athletes go through and if you can
(13:14):
make a difference, and you know, back to Joe and
Polly where it started. I just never forget Joe saying
to be like I said before that I don't know
what this gold medals cost me and just tore my
heart out. You know, we're all standing there as key
we was glowing in their success. We just for a
lot of people, you know, it just doesn't that they
don't come from necessarily wealthy families. So yeah, it's tough,
(13:38):
and so we do a lot now and I do
a lot now in that space, and we just actually
we also support the young tea who just got ninth
in the World championship, seventeen year old weightlifter in Sweden.
Just saw her post last night. Actually just absolutely outstanding.
So yeah, just little things can sometimes make a huge difference.
And I just you know, notes about Lisa Carrington and
(13:59):
Finn and Lee sort of the sort of brand ambassadors
for Generate, which is a key we save a scheme.
So he's been involved with Lisa, which is which is
great as well.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Oh yeah I've seen that, haven't I.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
It's all over the place.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Yes, yes, pretty crazy, Pretty crazy seeing myself on billboards.
To be honest, we love.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Your story though, I mean, I think that's at the
heart of every New Zealander, isn't it. We haven't moved
too far away from that from your story.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, phenomenal. Yeah, it's pretty cool. And like
I was speak speaking the other night, we had a
dinner at Paul and Allie's place, and you know, like,
I'm just super lucky to have parents that I did
have the parents that I did. You know, they basically
just that was the way they chose to spend their
their extra money, well not even extra money, their money
(14:48):
was to send me away. And you know, there was
never a there's never a question of oh, you know,
do you think you should be doing this, or we
can't afford it, Yeah, we can't afford it, or get
of it. And so yeah, man, I'm really really, really
really grateful that I had had them. And you know,
we had an Alexandra. We had a funny old house
(15:11):
that had been sort of changing, but and there was
a glass ceiling in the kind of back lounge thing
and every time it rained it it just leaked, so
we had to put buckets on it. Luckily, it's in
central target doesn't leak too much, it doesn't rain too much.
But and Mum would always say, oh, you know, I'd
rather rather see you kayaking and competing in Europe than
(15:31):
fix the ceiling, So there was kind of the trade off,
and you know, I just they Mum and Dad worked
so hard at the wedding and Function Center business and
just to send me paddling. So when I finally got
a little bit of funding from High Performance Sport a
couple of years ago, and especially now, it's been been
(15:54):
pretty cool for them for for me not to need
them to fought me financially, and they finally got to
fix the roof.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Ways pretty easy to support.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah, oh absolutely.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
It took a special, a special conversation with a special
young man for me to do it again because I
didn't think I would have to join party. That was
a very very special connection I had with those two.
And but yeah, just and a little bit of Villa.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Well, look, thank you so much for coming in to us.
We are all the better for knowing more about your
personal story. We will follow you as we have been
anyway in the journey to LA and Paul always great.
Thank you for making contact. Really appreciate that. And we're
going to go out with a little bit of your fave.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
For more from news Talks that'd be and live on
air or online and
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio
Twenty fourteen, did you have your first competitive race?
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yeah? First international? Well, yeah, first international, big race. I
raced a few Junior Worlds and things before that, so
I think it was twenty eleven. I raced in America
at Junior World's. It was kind of the first first
step us both and then yeah, I raced a World
Cup twenty fifteen. I think so that's probably my first senior.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Race because it's interesting, you know when you for me,
you boost onto the scene at Paris, and you know
that's I guess, the anonymity of people who aren't playing
mainstream sports in this country. And I know, Paul Lloyd,
you've done a lot of work around supporting people. I
remember with the Yachtes, you were an exquisite supporter of them,
(00:48):
and also now you are of Fin Butcher. It's a
great thing you've done.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
You're doing, Yeah, so it takes a special connection to
do it. Leslie as well, and you know, it's like
enough Elli and I met and his partner Courtney in Paris.
We might have had a couple of Villa Maria Chardonnay's
under the belt and he did as well, and we
just connected and you really see how much they give
(01:11):
and how much they sacrifice, so that the aim was
to minimize that from a financial sense and just support
Finn and gather the gether the troops, I guess about
with sponsors around him, so he can focus on what
he does and he can compete and finish his sport
like all his mates, you know, not being penalized financially
by being successful.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Powerful last statement, Yeah, and it goes back to my
comment about the anonymity of what you do in our
sports media, that you don't get picked up until you
win back.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, yeah, pretty much.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I mean we're a small sport, and I guess there's
a lot of small sports in his ELLM that have
a similar kind of thing. But yeah, we rely a
lot on a volunteer base. And yeah, for me, especially
mainly parental support up until the last probably a couple
of years. So yeah, I'm hugely grateful for Paul and
(02:03):
all the sponsors of he's He's gone out and hunted
for me. So yeah, I mean it just means that
that we can train well right now, I can train
it and compete on a similar playing field to what
the guys in Europe have. I guess they have big
club structures and mostly kind of funded army or police stuff.
(02:28):
So yeah, there a all been kind of professionals, I
guess since they are fifteen or sixteen.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
And that to be fair, that's what we've tried to
do on this program is we're just a conduit for
what is happening in the christ Uching can. We are
very parochial's that's what we are meant to be doing.
And look, it's just great to have you in here,
like I know that there's lots of stories that we
can ask you. First of all, thank you for bringing
in the gold medal. Oh my goodness, it's heavy and
it's glittery, but it's a bit raggy. That the what
(02:58):
do you call it. It's not a rope, it's a ribbon,
Paris twenty twenty four. But it looks as it's seen
a bit of a hard life.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah. Yeah, well, you know, I think I finished finished
competing about five days before the end of the game,
so I had that thing in Paris for five days
around my neck basically, and it was pretty hot and
sweaty over there. And I think the ribbon's probably not
quite strong enough for the for the way to the middle,
but you know, probably especially when you've got it at
(03:26):
the at the Pabor or my club or whatever, but
why not.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, exactly. I wonder if you're going to bring that
just the ribbons not strong.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, you know it's probably useder era
as well, but yeah, and you know it's been through
a lot of sits of hands and that's something that
I'm really proud of. You know, I don't want it
to be locked away and no one ever see it
or experience it because there's so many people that are
part of it and help me and support me. So
(03:56):
showing them and showing it to as many people as
possible as is something that's really really cool. So yeah,
I mean if it gets a little scratched up and
the ribbon's got little tears in it, then that's all
good with me. But Mum managed to sew it up
and when I got home, so yeah, it's lives to
fight another day.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Oh nice words, exactly right. About the people that have
helped you get where you are, that's absolutely fantastic actually
talking of them. Courtney, your partner, she is in the
same sport as you. I mean, how do you manage
that between the two of you?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, it's pretty good.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Really.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
You know, it's good that we we basically travel and
compete together almost the whole year, so yeah, it'd be
pretty hard I think if we if we were doing
separate things. You know, we're traveling pretty much seven or
eight months of the year in different different stints, so
you know, it's good to be together for all that time.
(04:55):
And yeah, it's just you know, it takes a little
bit of work for us to kind.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Of manage.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Manage race weeks or race days together. So you know,
we've each got our own race that we need to
focus on and different expectations and things like that. So
you know, it's just, yeah, it's just supporting each other
as many ways as we can and yeah, trying to yeah,
trying to succeed together basically. So man, that's pretty cool.
(05:22):
I'm like, well, we're pretty lucky to be able to
do something like that together.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Yeah, you've got to be good enough, yeah, and have
the focus. And the other thing is I need to
know what the difference between slalom and kayak crosses, please.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Yeah, So I guess we'll start with the kayak cross
because it's probably what people saw the most of the
Paris so we're in kayaks that are I think two
point eight meters long and they're plastic, so you can
crash and bash and slide off the ramp and stuff obviously,
and they don't get broken. So they have to be
(05:56):
eighteen kilos and there's a few other little bits and
pieces they have to be. But and then we basically
race head to head four people down the course, a
different course to slalom. So the poles and kit cross
are a big inflatable boys and you're allowed to hit
them and touch them and stuff, and you don't get
penalized for that. You just have to go around them.
(06:18):
And then yeah, basically it's the first one to the
bottom wins, and it's kind of in like a tournament
brack bracket structure, so each heat, the first two from
each heat progress to the next round, and the bottom
two you get knocked out, so you pick up your
boat and go home. But yeah, and then the slalom
(06:38):
is more kind of our traditional style one, so that
has eighteen to twenty four gates and cross only has seven,
plus a roll zone you've got to go under upside down,
and slalom you get Basically, it's just a time troll,
so you buy yourself. You're against the clock and top
(06:59):
to bottom and you get penalized. If you touch the
poles you get two seconds out of your time, and
then if you miss a gate you get fifty seconds added,
so you're pretty much you're done for.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
That's what you were in recently. Wasn't that those.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Fild champs, both of them? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, but you got a personal best?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah I did, yes, So yeah, the World Champs actually
last week in Penrith in the west of Sydney. So
I was fourth in the slalom, so I was just
just behind a mitor. I think I was zero point
one three or something behind third, and then second was
only six hundreds in front of him. So yeah, not
(07:36):
too far off at being really really good. But yeah,
like you say, a personal biss for me in slalom
and fourth place, I'm pretty stoked with that. I actually
went down. So there's twelve twelve people in the final,
so what happens, I guess, go through the whole race,
we have a heat run where everyone in the field starts,
and then the top thirty qualify through to a semi
final just from that one run. So I actually finished
(08:00):
with two penalties, so four seconds added to my time
and then I was like, oh, that's probably gonna well,
that's definitely not gonna be good enough. But I didn't
think I hit two gates. And then they actually reviewed
it on the on the camera, they got loads of
camera angles and stuff and realized that the water had
just splashed off my boat and touched the pole, so
I didn't actually touch it, so they took one off
(08:21):
and so then I thought, okay, I'm probably gonna qualify now,
and I just squeaked in in twenty eighth place. So
you know, it's pretty cutthroat, and the course was set
out quite easy, so a lot of people probably don't know,
but in slom, we don't actually get to practice the
particular gates sit up, and so we just they set
it before the race the day before and we just
(08:43):
get to look at it and watch some people who
aren't racing negotiate it, and then the first time you're
down that it's on your race run. So the course
was set up quite easy, so the times were really tight,
and so one penalty put me down so many places,
but luckily they just squeaked in there.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Fraction of a second is the difference, that's right.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah. And then so then I raced the semi final,
the top thirty races semi final, and again had a
pretty good run, but hit the last the third last gate,
and us finished and oh man, I've done it again,
and I'm probably.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Go on TV and I saw abashed.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
I gave my head a little tap and you, moron,
I know if.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
You just joined us. We have got fun Botcher in
the studio and Paul Lloyd who has been his How
would you describe your mentor your financial mentorship?
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Is that what you are sponsorship? Man? Guess, yeah, raise
money for the young lad Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Paul Lloyd from Apollo Project so generous and obviously Finn
isn't the only athlete, Paul that you have supported, which
is fantastic. But let's talk about LA and You'll be
just about at the height of your athleticism, won't you
by the time LA comes around?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I hope.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
So yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
I mean it's I'm thirty now, that's correct. Yeah. Yeah.
So it's interesting that in our sport, like you know,
there's there's people that are eighteen and really really good,
you know, winning World Cup races and European championships. And
things like that, and then there's still people that are
in their mid forties that are in the top as well.
(10:22):
So there was someone in the final with me in
Stalom and Penrith last week who was I think forty three,
So you know's there's the peak.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
I don't know really, Lisa Carrington just gets better and better,
don't Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, totally. So you know, I think hopefully i'll be
I'll be taking along well in LA, and I think
we've started the cycle pretty well, you know, to top
five finishes at the World Champs last week, so I was, yeah,
fourth in Salomon, fifth and and cross and yeah, I'm
looking forward to it. We're actually our venue is actually
(10:56):
in Oklahoma City, which is nowhere near LA, but the load,
yeah it's right. There's already a Whitewater Stadium there, so
which makes sense. Yeah, they're quite as bits of big
things to build, so LA doesn't want to build a
new one.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Do you know when the schedulers like, are you able
to walk in with the New Zealand team?
Speaker 2 (11:13):
I have no idea too far out, Yeah, I don't know.
I guess if it's the same as Paris, then we'll
be cutting it fine. We actually started on the first day,
but my care degree wasn't until like day four or something,
so they had all day three. They had a few
days competition before I win. So if it's like that,
then maybe and we'll just fly into LA and fly back.
(11:36):
But I don't know. We've got to go through there's
a few processes we've got to go through there before
we can talk about if I'm going to opening set
your money.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah, I know, fear enough. I get that because I
think of the rowing and you might qualify the boat,
but it does not guarantee you the seat, that's right,
So it's pretty cut throat.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yeah, yeah, there's a few there's a few things we've
got to go through to get New Zealand actually a
boat there. So in the past it was basically just
based on one race, So the World Championships before the
year before the Olympics, and you had to be in
the top fifteen nations to qualify your country a quota.
(12:14):
So I did that in twenty twenty three and got
us a spot and then had to win that internally.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Same thing.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Yeah, same thing, so that this year or next time,
they're going to change it. While they're thinking about changing
it to more of over a series, so instead of
one race, it's going to be over sort of five, six,
seven races and then you kind of click points for
your country and then qualify through that. But yeah, same
thing we've got to get. We've got to get a
spot and then I've got to win that and then
(12:41):
we then we can talk about if I go Looey.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Have no guarantees even though you're a gold medal winner. Well,
I'm going to put it back on you. What's sign
it for you? Why do you do this?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I guess making a difference. You know, Apollo is a
great company. We've had now for I think next year
is our twenty fiftheen of you through and just been
able to give back. You know, I had a daughter
that was a high performance summary as you know, and
been very very lucky to be associated and see just
see what these athletes go through and if you can
(13:14):
make a difference, and you know, back to Joe and
Polly where it started. I just never forget Joe saying
to be like I said before that I don't know
what this gold medals cost me and just tore my
heart out. You know, we're all standing there as key
we was glowing in their success. We just for a
lot of people, you know, it just doesn't that they
don't come from necessarily wealthy families. So yeah, it's tough,
(13:38):
and so we do a lot now and I do
a lot now in that space, and we just actually
we also support the young tea who just got ninth
in the World championship, seventeen year old weightlifter in Sweden.
Just saw her post last night. Actually just absolutely outstanding.
So yeah, just little things can sometimes make a huge difference.
And I just you know, notes about Lisa Carrington and
(13:59):
Finn and Lee sort of the sort of brand ambassadors
for Generate, which is a key we save a scheme.
So he's been involved with Lisa, which is which is
great as well.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Oh yeah I've seen that, haven't I.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
It's all over the place.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Yes, yes, pretty crazy, Pretty crazy seeing myself on billboards.
To be honest, we love.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Your story though, I mean, I think that's at the
heart of every New Zealander, isn't it. We haven't moved
too far away from that from your story.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, phenomenal. Yeah, it's pretty cool. And like
I was speak speaking the other night, we had a
dinner at Paul and Allie's place, and you know, like,
I'm just super lucky to have parents that I did
have the parents that I did. You know, they basically
just that was the way they chose to spend their
their extra money, well not even extra money, their money
(14:48):
was to send me away. And you know, there was
never a there's never a question of oh, you know,
do you think you should be doing this, or we
can't afford it, Yeah, we can't afford it, or get
of it. And so yeah, man, I'm really really, really
really grateful that I had had them. And you know,
we had an Alexandra. We had a funny old house
(15:11):
that had been sort of changing, but and there was
a glass ceiling in the kind of back lounge thing
and every time it rained it it just leaked, so
we had to put buckets on it. Luckily, it's in
central target doesn't leak too much, it doesn't rain too much.
But and Mum would always say, oh, you know, I'd
rather rather see you kayaking and competing in Europe than
(15:31):
fix the ceiling, So there was kind of the trade off,
and you know, I just they Mum and Dad worked
so hard at the wedding and Function Center business and
just to send me paddling. So when I finally got
a little bit of funding from High Performance Sport a
couple of years ago, and especially now, it's been been
(15:54):
pretty cool for them for for me not to need
them to fought me financially, and they finally got to
fix the roof.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Ways pretty easy to support.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah, oh absolutely.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
It took a special, a special conversation with a special
young man for me to do it again because I
didn't think I would have to join party. That was
a very very special connection I had with those two.
And but yeah, just and a little bit of Villa.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Well, look, thank you so much for coming in to us.
We are all the better for knowing more about your
personal story. We will follow you as we have been
anyway in the journey to LA and Paul always great.
Thank you for making contact. Really appreciate that. And we're
going to go out with a little bit of your fave.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
For more from news Talks that'd be and live on
air or online and
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio
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