Dame Susan Glazebrook and Dame Lisa Carrington, of Auckland, DNZM for services to canoe racing
Dame Lisa Carrington is New Zealand’s most successful Olympian, having won six Olympic medals, five gold and one bronze, across a total of 23 medals in her canoe racing career. Dame Lisa won her first Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in the K1 200 metres and claimed gold at the 2016 Olympics in the same event, also achieving bronze in the K1 500 metres. Her third Olympic appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games saw her compete in 12 races across six days, winning gold in the K1 200 metres, the K1 500 metres and alongside teammate Caitlin Regal in the K2 500 metres, becoming the first female triple gold medallist from New Zealand at a single Olympic Games. She has won ten world championship gold medals, including seven successive K1 200 metres event titles. She supports and coaches young paddlers at her home club in Ōhope, and works with Canoe Racing New Zealand (CRNZ) to grow the sport. The existence and success of CRNZ’s Performance Programme since 2017 is attributed to her achievements, profile and sharing of funding derived from her performances, helping build a more sustainable programme and provide more opportunities for athletes. In 2021, Dame Lisa was named the most influential Māori Sports Personality of the past 30 years in the ‘Māori Sports Awards 30 in 30’ show.