CARRINGTON Lisa

General
LIFE AFTER PADDLING
In 2019 she said she was not sure if she would continue competing after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "I'm not really sure what I want to do, whether I keep going after Tokyo. I could probably carry on until my mid to late thirties if I wanted. I was expecting to be 31 in Tokyo, now I'm going to be 32." Having a family is something she has considered. "It almost seems like if you were to have kids it would stop your sport, so it's not easy. It would be amazing to have them but when is the time? It will change a few things and I guess change is hard to cope with." (Next magazine, 13 May 2019; olympicchannel.com, 21 May 2020)

BODY POSITIVITY
She says young female athletes should not be discouraged if they need to put on muscle for their sport, and that she enjoys this aspect of sprint paddling. "It is in some ways challenging to be muscular when you're growing up because it's associated with a guy and how they're supposed to look, and girls aren't supposed to be masculine. Our bodies are basically the outcome of our training, our sport. I just want to be strong and I think that having muscles just tells you that we've worked hard. It is challenging to be considered muscular and big. I guess you just have to be OK with yourself and do what you do. What I love about my sport is that I get to be strong." (olympicchannel.com, 21 May 2020)

HARD TO CELEBRATE
She admits to not celebrating the medals she wins at international competitions, and often stores them in a drawer instead of keeping them on display. "My mum found one in the pocket of my uniform after the world championships. But yes, the medals are cool and I think I'll appreciate them more when I'm not doing it anymore. It's a huge flaw but it's quite hard to celebrate when you do achieve because it's always about trying to do more and become better." (Next magazine, 13 May 2019)

FURTHER EDUCATION
She has studied for a postgraduate diploma in psychology. (Facebook page, 02 Jun 2019)

She is the first female athlete representing New Zealand to have won two medals at a single edition of the Olympic Games. She claimed gold and bronze at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 19 Aug 2019; ipaddle.co.nz, 10 Aug 2016)

She became the first New Zealand female sprint paddler to win a gold medal at the world championships when she claimed victory in the K1 200m at the 2011 edition in Szeged, Hungary. (SportsDeskOnline, 19 Aug 2019; olympic.org.nz, 01 Oct 2013)