Best of 2024: Dame Lisa Carrington on the Mike Hosking Breakfast

Looking beyond the finish line: Dame Lisa Carrington discusses her success, writing endeavours 

Arguably New Zealand’s greatest ever Olympian, Dame Lisa Carrington is the best in the canoe sprint game. 

She’s brought home a staggering total of nine medals across four Olympic Games, eight of them gold, and one bronze, dominating the water. 

Despite her massive success, Carrington doesn’t believe this is the best she’s capable of, telling Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking that you have to be able to look beyond the finish line or gold medal and set yourself other goals. 

“If I thought that winning a gold medal was my best, I would’ve stopped in London. I would’ve stopped after Rio, I would’ve stopped after Tokyo.” 

Carrington has been competing for over a decade now, but it’s taken her up until this year’s Games to have 100% joy and satisfaction in racing. 

“I think a lot of the time I’ve raced in the past, and it’s been out of just needing to win, just because that’s the expectation on me,” she told Hosking. 

“But for Paris, I’ve managed to get to a place where I was like, you know what, I’m just gonna do my best.” 

And doing her best panned out, with Carrington netting a total of three gold medals in the 2024 Games. 

Photo / Jason Oxenham

There comes a point in every successful athlete's career where the question on everyone’s mind is: what’s next?  

Carrington is currently at the top of her game and has no plans on stopping here, but when it comes to the next steps, she’s unsure whether she wants to leave while on top or not.  

“Being in the position I am, you know, being the fastest I’ve ever been, strongest, whatever, it is hard to think ‘Oh maybe I’ll stop now,’” Carrington said. 

“Because well, what else is there?”  

Every competition is different, each Olympic Games different again from the last, and when it comes to the next steps, Carrington thinks it would need to be a different challenge once more. 

And when it comes to new and different challenges, Carrington has fulfilled a goal she’s had since Tokyo: writing a children's book. 

Lisa Carrington Chases a Champion is aimed at 4-9 year olds, and details the journey of eight year old Lisa having a goal, the journey of achieving it, and the challenges along the way. 

“There's so many little messages in there from, you know, about... a little bit about discipline or having a plan, but also that, you know, there are challenges, and you have to keep turning up.” 

It’s the first of what Carrington hopes to be a series, with her leaving the ending open for another journey. 

“Too many lessons to learn and relearn.” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
For some of the Olympics. After the event, they're asking
what is next to name Lisa Carrington as one of
those people. She may go again. Of course she may not.
Nine medals across four games, either of them gold. Meantime,
turns out she's an author of children's book aimed at
four to nine year olds. It's called Lisa Carrington Chases
a Champion. Lisa Carrington's with us morning.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yeah, good morning. It's lovely to be.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Here now, Elise Andrews, who we had in the program
a couple of weeks ago. So these are these eclectic questions.
I ask people like you, what's your observation, giving your
experience at the elite end of sport, that most sports
people are elegant, eloquent and together as human beings. What
is it about sport that makes you that way?

Speaker 2 (00:42):
I wouldn't not everyone's like that, right, I thank you?

Speaker 3 (00:46):
No, I think I guess as a sports person, and
particularly maybe in New Zealander, if you're working on yourself
as a human, your performance is also unlocked that way.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
And the value then of programs, so rowing, paddling, cycling, sailing,
equestrian at Olympic level has been very good. What weight
do you place on the value of programs to propel
athletes forward?

Speaker 3 (01:16):
For I guess in my experience it's the people and
the I guess, the desire to push boundaries, to grow,
to learn, to figure out how just to get better.
So for us program is really it is important. But
also my coach, my teammates, that's a huge importance.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
What's the role in your life of the coach.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
He, I guess, Gordy, he writes the program, he plans
our campaign. It's huge and he's a mentor as well,
so he has a huge influence on my performance.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Has he? I mean, obviously you grow closer over time.
But is it one of those things if you're the
right personality, you can be coached by anybody or is
it a very individual thing? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (02:05):
I think if you're a learner, if you've got to
be coachable, so absolutely you can be coached by anyone.
And I think you've got to really understand what you
need and how people can help you, and that people aren't.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
There to serve you.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
That you've got to figure out, you know, what you
can probably do for them. And I guess have an
aligned vision of where you want to.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Go when you get to what you've achieved, what's still coachable?

Speaker 3 (02:30):
That's I guess that is the challenge is to make
sure that I still don't believe I know everything, so
I still have to get better and technically physically, so.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
It's see, I find that hard to believe. Is that
just one of those things you say to yourself just
so because what you really want to say is there
is no one better than me. And that's not an
arrogant thing to say, It's just a statement of truth. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:57):
But I guess there's like, what is the what is
the measure of best? Or you'll be like, it's only
your best, right gold? Yeah, I don't know. Like I
guess you are competing against we are competing against people,
But what is is it a world record?

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Is it your best?

Speaker 3 (03:14):
So I think you have to look beyond the finish
line or a gold medal and go Actually, I want
to be I want to be able to do this
and every time you achieve those little things winning a
gold medal. If I thought that winning a gold medal
was my best, I would have stopped in London.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
I would have stopped after Rio.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
I would have stopped after So like you've got to
figure out, like what is more and as I think,
you know, there's I think you can just completely learn
and grow as a person.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
It's got to be more than Do you think you're
still doing that? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (03:47):
I think I've learned so much in the last year.
Every year, Like I guess you kind of. There's one
of our coaches said, if you're not embarrassed by the
person you were, you're not growing.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
So like I think you.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
I think it's like if I look through every medal,
every moment, it's not always about the medals, you know
that they're just they just signify that moment. Yeah, but
you know, man, I just it's got to be more
than crossing the finish line first.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
It has to be I just can't work out what
that is though. See that's that's the person, that's the
fascinating thing. You must be going through that right now, then,
mustn't you.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (04:25):
Absolutely, I think also finishing having done the sport for
this long, It's taken me this long to really perform
and that week of Paris and have like one hundred
percent joy and satisfaction and racing and I think a
lot of the time I've raced in the past and
it's been out of just needing to win just because

(04:47):
that's the expectation on me. But for Paris, I managed
it to a place where I was like, you know what,
I'm just going to do my best. I love my teammates. Yeah, yeah,
we have given our heart and soul into this.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
So but that's because I'll tell you what that is.
What that is is you've got nothing left to prove, or.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
You just don't have to prove anything.

Speaker 1 (05:08):
That's what I'm saying. Yeah, no one doubts who you
are and what you're about, so therefore you can truly
enjoy it and be yourself and express yourself in your
case with the pedal.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
And I think you can probably find that at any stage,
whether you are.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Going to come last or come first. But that is
probably the hardest thing to do, is.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Do you want to leave? And I don't want to
ask you tricky questions that you'll squirm over, but do
you just just big picture stuff? Do you want to
have you even thought about it? Do you want to
leave at the top or it doesn't bother you?

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, that's I think you would. I don't know, I think.

Speaker 3 (05:45):
In sport right now, being in the position I am,
you know, being the fastest I've ever been, strongest, whatever,
it is hard to think, oh maybe I'll stop now.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
Because well what else is there? So I don't know.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
Maybe I think to be honest, it has to be
a different thing. So every Olympacts is different. And if
I go to that next stage of life for whatever,
it's almost like you have to. It has to be
about something else. So the challenge has to be different.
And so maybe the challenge is so big the next
one that I can't be the best all right?

Speaker 1 (06:21):
Would you still go to the Olympics? Do you think
knowing you're not the best?

Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah, that's I think that's this is where this.

Speaker 1 (06:27):
Is where we're at. And do you take advice on that?
Are you one of those people who thinks that stuff
for yourself?

Speaker 2 (06:32):
No, I definitely take advice.

Speaker 3 (06:34):
I really have a you know, there's a handful of
people that I've had in my life for a good
fifteen years that have helped me get to this point.

Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah, And I think you just you have to rely.

Speaker 3 (06:47):
I think it actually just comes back to who you are,
what you want, And am I on a path.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
That I enjoy?

Speaker 1 (06:56):
Good on you and Obviously part of that is the
business of getting up. I assume it's early and paddling
for long hours and doing what you do, which is
the other part I admire so much about you. You
seem to be above all elite athletes who are all
dedicated to what they do that next level up, which
is the you know what you need to do to

(07:18):
get to be the best. And there's something in that,
isn't there? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (07:21):
Absolutely, and it's I mean it's I guess we you know,
it's compounding interest. So years and years of being at
a high level, you keep adding experience training to the
bank and it just compounds over time. So yeah, I
guess I have a fair bit of ip that I
would just continue to love to share as well.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
Where does age fit in and the physical constraints of age.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
I think there's a conception that sport is short, especially
for females, So I am not sure. I think we're
exploring new areas.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (08:02):
There's not too many New Zealand Olympic athletes that are
over thirty five.

Speaker 1 (08:09):
How old are you?

Speaker 2 (08:09):
Thirty five? Okay, yeah, I feel younger than that.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
You'll you'll be thirty nine, Yeah, yeah, the next one.
And so is there a group of people out there
that can guide you in that sense that thirty nine
is not a thing?

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Or absolutely? I think we just you know, like there's
no limit.

Speaker 1 (08:26):
I think what will that be made up of? Will
that be made how much of it will be made
up of diet, training, psychology, experience and all those other
bits and pieces versus just the natural Your body does
what your body does and there's nothing you can do
about that.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah, I guess that's what we're learning. Like as athletes,
we are a constant experiment. So data has been gathered
all the time, you know, our sleep data, our training.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
Data, heart rate, et cetera.

Speaker 3 (08:55):
So I guess what we're learning is although there's improvement,
it's that we does that improvement stop happening?

Speaker 2 (09:02):
And what does that do to is it? Yeah, physiology,
is it, mentality? Diet?

Speaker 3 (09:08):
But yeah, there's definitely a play of I'm sure there's
a point where your body can't do more, but your
mind might be.

Speaker 1 (09:16):
Able to do. You enjoy being disciplined, because here's the
other thing I think about a lot, and that is
the discipline. It's great when you're doing it, but when
you do it all the time, you think, geez, wouldn't
it be great just to blob out for a while
and just let myself go a bit. And you see
the lot of next athletes who clearly have and I've
never quite got me. But I wonder if are you

(09:37):
disciplined naturally so that no matter we you end up
in life, you will be a disciplined person.

Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yeah, maybe there's a bit of fear there. If I'm
not disciplined, things won't go well. So I think there's
probably a natural worry that I need to stay disciplined.

Speaker 2 (09:53):
But I think you just learn. It's gradual, right.

Speaker 3 (09:56):
I've figured out for me an equation where can be disciplined.
But it just becomes kind of daily, so it's not huge,
like you know, you've got to stick to this routine
and got to eat this all this food. It's actually
small things that I've developed that make it easier to
turn up fantastic.

Speaker 1 (10:14):
So which brings you to As to the children's book,
this as an exercise is about what.

Speaker 3 (10:21):
So it's really about the journey of my eight year
old Lisa having a goal and the journey of achieving it,
and that comes with little challenges and ways to kind
of come back to it.

Speaker 1 (10:36):
Do you send a message in the book that all
things are possible? Because one of the because I'm being
older than you and I'm an old dinosaur and all
that crap, the way that kids have dealt with these
days are perhaps not the way that you were dealt
with as a child, and certainly I wasn't, And that
is that there's a little bit too much leeway about
turning up and not you know, when it doesn't really
matter all that much and stuff like that. Do you
send a message that turning up counts sometimes?

Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah? Absolutely, That is one of the messages in the book.
Young Lisa has a friend and she's so she asked
her for advice, and she said, it's just about showing up.
And so, you know, it's about turning up. It talks
about turning up. It's about your parents being that person
that listens to you.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
There's so many little.

Speaker 3 (11:18):
Messages in there from you know, about a little bit
about discipline or having a plan, but also that you
know there are challenges and you have to keep turning up.

Speaker 1 (11:29):
Isn't that one of the great stories of the Olympic Games,
And we saw it recently in Paris. Is everyone had
a mom or dad, or an uncle or an auntie,
and they were all there. It was like, there it is,
this is the moment, and we've all worked towards this
and it's the greatest thing in the world, isn't it. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
I think it's really special to be able to share
that with the people at home, you know, that have
come there to what you perform, and particularly like it
went so well for us at the games and so
for you know, across the board, and so I think
you know your parents, so they give so much.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
Don't they? All everyone does? So this takes you where.
This is the first of eighteen books.

Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yeah, I hope to do a couple more children's books.
So at the end there it kind of shares it.
There is another journey, so it keeps you on the edgy.

Speaker 1 (12:19):
Well, she can have journeys and adventures till forever, can't She.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
Always too many lessons to learn and relearn?

Speaker 3 (12:25):
Right?

Speaker 1 (12:26):
Good on you, well, thank you for bringing these glorious
things in. Do you wake them by the way in
terms of importance.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
Or moments learnings?

Speaker 3 (12:35):
And you know, I guess it's like every one of
those medals, I am kind of am a different person
more experienced or whatever. So I think, yeah, they they're
all pretty, they're all pretty special, but I mean, Paris,
the recent ones were amazing.

Speaker 1 (12:51):
I'm not surprised. Listen, go well, we'll put the video
up so everyone can see the medals in the moment,
Lisa Carrington.

Speaker 2 (12:56):
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