We love so many things about the Silver Ferns, New Zealand’s Olympic and Paralympic teams, so we love it when we get a chance to talk to one of their athletes. Paddler Dame Lisa Carrington has been a Silver Fern for four Olympics, starting at London 2012. Over that time, she’s become New Zealand’s most decorated Olympian, with eight gold medals and one bronze medal. She had a three-peat in the 200m kayak singles, an event that was discontinued at Paris 2024. She’s also got two golds and a bronze in the 500m kayak singles, two golds in the 500m kayak doubles, and one gold in the 500m kayak fours. At both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, she won gold in every event she entered!
Dame Lisa’s also authored a children’s book Lisa Carrington Chases a Champion and has partnered with Zespri kiwifruit as its first global ambassador:
During our interview with her, we learn more about paddling solo vs. with others, her book, and her partnership with Zespri. Plus, we find out the answers to important questions including: What’s Dame Carrington’s favorite kiwi? Kiwi vs. feijoa? Where are her silver ferns? We’ve got answers!
Follow Dame Carrrington on Insta and Facebook: @liscarrington and check out her website!
Also on this episode, we have some big news from Milano Cortina 2026 with the announcement of its Olympic Opening Cermony theme, which is Armonia (Harmony). Mario Balich is the producer and creative lead for the event. He’s no stranger to Olympic Ceremonies, having been involved with 16 Olympic and Paralympic ceremony productions, including Torino 2006:
The committee also provided more details around the event, which might be more complicated than Paris 2024’s spectacle along the Seine. There will be four locations: Milano’s San Siro Stadium, Cortina, Predazzo and Livigno. With four locations, a lot could happen, but it means more athletes will be able to take part in the Parade of Nations.
Also in Milano Cortina news, NBC adds to its primetime commentator lineup, Ester Ledecka makes a decision, and the International Ski & Snowboard federation makes a decision about whether Russian and Belarussian skiers can compete as neutrals.
Plus, we thought that all of the construction for Milano Cortina 2026 was under control, but there’s one project that is way behind schedule: The Santagiulia hockey arena. We’ve learned that the arena won’t be ready for its test event in December, and that there’s a mighty tight timeline to get things done before the first puck drops on Feb. 5. We have a new novela–will construction be finished in time? What do you think?
Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!
TRANSCRIPT
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414-Olympian Dame Lisa Carrington on Kayaking and Kiwis
Theme Music
Jill Jaracz: Hello and welcome to another episode of Keep, the Flame Alive, the smartest podcast for fans of the Olympics and Paralympics.
If you love the games, we are the show for you. I am your host Jill Jaracz, joined as always by my lovely co-host, Alison Brown. Alison, hello, how are you?
Now I’m feeling the pressure.
Oh, no pressure at all. we will, we’ll be on off the podium. Our, uh, counterpart in, Australia and Canada’s podcast.
And, he admitted that we were the smartest He. Podcast out there about the ames
Alison Brown: [00:01:00] because we won the Fantasy Five Rings. another podcast that, that we made an appearance on, uh, the trivia contest. And I did say that that was probably the most important contest that I have ever won. That was very, I important.
I felt so much pressure. I know at the time we said it to Alex, the host of Fantasy Fives, if we screw this up, our entire careers are over. Right. So thankfully we did not, and what’s funny is he’s been posting some of the things and. I’m very respectful of my own logic in some of those questions. I remember thinking as I was listening to myself, which I guess is a good thing, and I’m saying, yeah, that’s exactly how I would think about it.
And then I’m like, that is you thinking about it. So I’m, I’m nothing if not the smartest Olympic podcast and the most consistent. There you go. And in your mind, the most logical, there you go. I’m all for that.
Jill Jaracz: so we will put links to the [00:02:00] Fantasy Five Ring stuff if you have not seen it yet. And we’ll post on socials, at least for our, uh, appearance on Author Podium, which will be for a hundred days out next week. So look forward to that.
Dame Lisa Carrington Interview
Alison Brown: And, and speaking of people who are very consistent,
Jill Jaracz: yes. We are talking with one of the most consistent.
Athletes of all time, I would say Dame Lisa Carrington. She is New Zealand’s most decorated Olympian. She competes in kayak, sprint, and since London 2012, she has amassed eight gold medals and a bronze across four games. She has raced in the kayak singles, 200 meter and 500 meter, and they phased out the 200 meter.
Uh. Kayak doubles 500 meter and Kayak four is 500 meter. She’s also author of the Children’s book, Lisa Carrington. Chase is a champion and she is now an ambassador for Zespri Kiwi Fruit, and I believe she’s their first ambassador. Couldn’t do better than that, right? We [00:03:00] talked with Lisa about paddling writing, Kiwis and Feasas.
Take a listen.
Dame Lisa Carrington. Thank you so much for joining us.
Dame Lisa Carrington on kayak singles vs. doubles vs. fours
Jill Jaracz: So let’s start with the kayaking your current race. Length is 500 meters, but you do all the races. So that’s singles, doubles, and fours. Yes. Are there physical differences in what you have to do as an athlete between working alone versus with one person versus with three others?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah. I mean, other than the obvious, it’s as you put more people in a boat, the race does get shorter. so roughly 10 seconds, for a K twos 10 seconds shorter than a K one and then 10 seconds shorter again for a K four. so yeah, other than that obvious reason, there’s a little bit of a different, each boat has a little bit different dynamic.
and yeah, so there are differences, particularly technically paddling with more than one person, you’ve got to kind of have [00:04:00] a really synchronicity, and physiologically. it’s more powerful when you’re in a team boat because it is a bit shorter, and your boat’s moving quite a bit faster.
So yes, there are slight differences. and there’s also like a real magic when you paddle with more than one person. So there’s like a extra element of connection and synchronicity that you can get out of working with people. Yeah.
Alison Brown: At this point in your career, are you putting the boats together?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Picking, you mean picking the team? You’re picking, picking who you’re in the boat with? no, like I think we kind of, in New Zealand, we don’t necessarily have a vast number of athletes to choose from as well. but ultimately we just try to, I guess, no, like I’m not, picking the boats as such, but it’s kind of like who’s the best.
who makes the boat grow fastest? and there are some elements that are required. You know, someone who maybe we do a lot of training in our individual boats in our K ones. [00:05:00] so it’s not necessarily if you’re faster in your K one, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re gonna be the best team boat person.
So there’s also an element of fitting in and, synchronicity and technique and that type of thing as well. So you kind of just want the best. You really just want also, like whilst you want the fastest person to paddle with, you also want to have someone who’s also incredibly fun and loves the journey and all those, ’cause it’s hard work being an athlete.
You don’t want it to be a grind every day.
Jill Jaracz: How do you develop that synchronicity in the boat? And if you’re, is usually your double partner also in the four boat?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah. Yeah, typically. Um, in the way that it, it does, it’s a lot easier to have that crew together. ’cause I think when we. You know, what worked really well for us at the Paris Olympics, is that we, the four of us looked at all three races, as our races.
So [00:06:00] whilst, you know, I was on my own in the one and the, and you know, there was only two of us in the two, when we could kind of conceptualize that we were all a part of every race, because each race. S does require slightly different training and, specificity, but yes, uh, to develop that, timbo absolutely, as technically is massive.
and then obviously physiologically, um, you’ve just gotta be really, like to be a kaka, you’ve gotta, we’ve, for that 500 meters, 90 seconds, you have to be fit. You’ve gotta be fast, strong, powerful. So developing this whole array of physiology as well.
Jill Jaracz: How often do you train with the teams versus working on your singles technique?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah. so it kind of varies. As you get closer into a competition, you may get into the crew boats a little bit more. So I think we would do, a lot of, I’d say 60% of our training is individual. [00:07:00] Like in our K ones and then 40% would be in a crew boat. So what there’s, it’s not necessarily, cause you do need to have the individual accountability.
and so by working on your own individual technique, which then should, if you have a, we, you know, you gotta have the overall picture of what it’s for. So paddling in the team, that really helps.
Alison Brown: Yeah. Now are you all physically together or are you different parts of New Zealand?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Uh, we’re all physically in the same part of New Zealand, so we all, live in Auckland, um, New Zealand.
So I guess the idea is, do need to kind of work as a team to get the most out of each other.
Jill Jaracz: So one of the things is that you were also very highly skilled understatement in the 200 meter, which got dropped from the the parish program. Yeah. How did you feel about that?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah, I mean, really disappointed I think, because it, [00:08:00] I mean for me personally, it was an event that. You know, it was where I won my first gold medal at the Olympics.
it also, created more opportunity, to. You know, to not just do the 500 meters. And so yeah, it was, it was really disappointing. It’s, it’s an exciting race as well, and really spectator friendly. So I think we, when we lost that event, due to politics of sport, which is, you know, um, yeah, I think, uh, I guess we just have to adapt from that.
The Olympic experience with fewer sprint kayak events
Dame Lisa Carrington: And, I guess. I raced, in Tokyo Olympics. You know, I raced four events. and so I guess then going to Paris, having the three events, not that it was any easier, but I guess it allowed for more focus on that.
Jill Jaracz: Did, did you suddenly go, what do I have with all this time on my hands
Dame Lisa Carrington: while you’re at the Olympics?[00:09:00]
Not at all. Um, yeah, it was, I guess it was less complex, uh, complexity and we did actually lose one day. So, um, in Tokyo Olympics we raced over six days, and then, um, in Paris we raced over five. So, you know, there’s all these changes that occur. Yeah, so I mean, sport’s, something that’s interesting and yeah, how you kind of keep it relevant and important and, to kind of keep it, whilst keeping the tradition of what we’ve done for a really long time.
but, you know. Keep the standards so that it remains popular for the Olympics.
Alison Brown: Okay. So you said you’re racing over five or six days, and how do you, I mean, I don’t wanna say how do you do that, but how do you physically manage those days and what’s happening, uh, through the rounds and sleeping and eating and all those pieces?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah, I, I guess it’s completely planned, so, You do understand, I guess you [00:10:00] can’t go in thinking you’re going to have six of your, or you know, the best six night sleeps or five night sleeps that you’re ever gonna have in your life. So you kind of have to understand that, you know, it’s, you’re gonna do your best.
but also it’s all planned. So from, you know, what we are eating, the kind of amount of energy required to do each race, um, and then. Looking at, at it through the week. And each race is a building block, so it’s all strategized to kind of just say give your hundred, complete a hundred percent when those, um, key races are required.
obviously not floating down the course, ’cause you, you still have to make semifinals and finals. Um, so it’s been really strategic because at the end of the day. you know, you’ve gotta turn up to the start line whilst having done heats and semis and maybe even quarterfinals, in the best shape you can.
So you, it’s, and you’ve gotta figure out, you almost, you’ve gotta [00:11:00] train really hard to be fit enough to kind of repeat good performances. so I guess if those things, you follow the plan, you spend the right amount of energy, you’re gonna turn up, to that final race, the one that matters the most, um, in the best condition.
Jill Jaracz: How do you, and maybe this is, because you’ve been doing it so long, it’s just second nature, but how do you find the right level of energy? Like, you know what I mean? Yeah. ’cause you, you, you wanna go fast enough in heat to make it, to not have to do a sage. Yeah. And you, and so like where do you, but you don’t necessarily want to give it all.
Yeah, if you don’t have to. So where do you find that balance? And sometimes is it like right in the race where you know where you’re at.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah. So I guess, understanding, you know, having, I guess getting to that point and, and it takes a long time and over many Yes. To kind of trust the process and also understand [00:12:00] like what it is, what is it.
What it’s going to take, how fast you need to go to make a heat, through to the quarterfinals or the semifinals. so there’s a, I guess if you’ve got, my coach helps a lot with this and figuring out, you know, what it’s gonna take. So what’s the time gonna require, needed, what’s the time needed for to make it through?
So you kind of roughly have a gauge on those performances. But at the, I guess also there’s the element that you’re so well trained, you’re really fit that you can kind of do, performances that are, you know, have a really high standard, but you can just repeat them. And so, and there’s, you know, there is a difference between, completely going a hundred percent and maybe holding a percent or two back.
because it’s not required, but I mean, that’s why you train for so long to kind of be able to, to manage that energy, through the whole [00:13:00] week. Um, and of course I’m not going to go out and, go do something silly or go for a big walk or, you know, it’s really targeted to just make sure that, you know, the energy is really just around performing.
So, I guess that’s why, you know, and it’s not possible for, to all the time to do three really, really good races. Sometimes people can only do one. So you’ve gotta also know yourself
Alison Brown: when you are racing. How close do you know your time? Like, do you even need to look at the, the time when you crossed the line?
Dame Lisa Carrington: no. It’s, It’s really tough to know sometimes I’m also not, yeah, I, I also, I don’t know, me personally, I’m not that good at picking it, but I think when it’s, if what helps a lot for me is when I’ve practiced it a lot. and sometimes it takes, you have to wait until closer to those competitions [00:14:00] when you know, you’ve got, you know, all the, all your physiology available, so.
You go through the year, you know, if we’ve just come out of, off season or doing really, a lot of long endurance training, I don’t have all the skills that I would have closer to racing. So sometimes it takes a little while to build up that kind of toolkit, which is required to, to race and that’s, you know, when it’s trying to go fast.
and all the other, you know, anaerobic, um, capacity and all these other kind of physiological, um. Building blocks that you create closer to racing. so yeah, it’s, I mean, there’s, there’s a, there’s periodization to it. There’s also practice. Um, but I absolutely, I mean, you get to a point where you can really feel when a good one happened and when it, you know, when it didn’t quite go as well as you want.
Dame Lisa Carrington’s growth as a paddler since London 2012
Alison Brown: How is that different now for you versus 2012? And, and that [00:15:00] timeframe.
Dame Lisa Carrington: yeah, I think when I look back at 2012, the amount of training and my capability and capacity has improved over. You know, that’s more than 10 years. but, there’s also like to go. A lot faster. You need to do a lot, you know, to just go a little bit faster, you need to do a lot more training.
So I think there’s also an element of what was already there and in 2012, and then I’ve just managed to build on it since then. And also I can look back and think, you know, there’s a really lovely naivety to, um, being new to the world of paddling and, and also the expectation of, what I hadn’t done yet.
So that’s really amazing. But then also to come through and work through that expectation after doing performances and then work, trying to come back to, you know, the purity of what it’s all about, which is just kind of enjoying what you’re doing and doing it the best you can.
Jill Jaracz: [00:16:00] How is it when you are going through the, I need to get a little bit faster? And obviously, that takes time. But when you hit those walls and trying to break through them, what are kind of strategies that you think about in getting past the really hard part to another level?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah. I think it’s kind, I guess it’s having the self-awareness of like what is, when it is really hard.
Like what is my. My what are, what’s my mind, what’s happening in my mind? Like, what are the things I’m telling myself? Is it what’s driving this? And I think sometimes it’s just like, it’s, there’s a general acceptance that it’s really, I’m in a lot of discomfort. Um, and then going, okay, it doesn’t mean that, um, I’m terrible.
Or, you know, making judgements from that. It’s like, okay, what is that? And I just wanna be better. so what is it gonna take? And so for me, it’s just having the, [00:17:00] I guess that self-awareness to know, okay, what’s going on? Okay. Just, it’s just fricking, it’s really hard and I’m feeling a lot of, uh, discomfort, whether that’s pain or, I don’t know, just, just difficult.
and then thinking, okay, now what’s my next step to be able to stay here? Um, and then understanding I have a really, it’s really important for me to understand the purpose of why. You know, while I’m training, I don’t in those difficult moments, when it is hard, I think, if I don’t know what it’s for, it’s really hard to stay in it.
So, you know, if it’s for, if you know my muscles or my lungs are blowing up and going, you know what, this is, this is really important because it’s for, you know, my race. And the better, the harder it is now, the easier it’ll be later. Or I’m just trying to keep, like, it’s all about building something. So I.
Connecting it to where I wanna go is really important. So I don’t do a lot of things for nothing. it’s all gotta be pretty purposeful and I don’t put myself, I don’t like putting myself through [00:18:00] challenging or discomfort if I don’t believe it’s gonna take me somewhere.
Alison Brown: Has that changed over time? You know, obviously you’re much more confident now than you were as a 22-year-old kid, knowing yourself and your body.
And how has that changed how you’re coached?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Uh, yeah, I think, I don’t know. I think I, I guess I’m constantly trying to, you know, find that inner confidence and not needing that coaching. Um, I’m probably a little bit, I’m recognizing that, I, you know, I don’t live or die by my performance. so I mean that.
Not every day can I let that go? But I, I definitely notice that accepting the performance or if, you know, the training didn’t go that well. I’m a a lot more aware of, you know, the, the bigger picture and not necessarily needing the, reassurance from my coach. [00:19:00]
How kayak sprint has changed throughout Dame Carrington’s career
Alison Brown: How has the sport changed over your career besides the, the taking away of the 200, which was a travesty for, for you and for me? Who loves you?
Dame Lisa Carrington: the sport changed. Yeah. Uh. It’s so hard when you’re in it. I mean, I have my own perspective, from, you know, like where I sit in high performance, which is a really different part of the sport compared to the community.
but we definitely have, a lot more support. There’s so much in the high performance, there’s a lot more strategy and, and more broadly reaching. So, which is great. And we have, you know, we, when I first started, we just had a few part-time coaches and and a few people in the office. so now with our sport getting a little bit bigger and through performances of, you know, winning, our sport can generate more funding, which kind of creates more job opportunity.
so I [00:20:00] guess there’s that part of the sport. And then, Yeah, there’s a lot more girls, which is really cool. and, you know, there can never be enough, people paddling. Um, so for me it’s really important to kind of create opportunity, for that next step or for the next group of athletes coming through because sport people come and go, um, sport, uh, you can’t stay in this, you know, people don’t stay at high performance for as long as I have and people come in and out.
So, just creating opportunity for. more athletes to come through and be able to reach their potential. Yeah, I think has definitely, increased.
Separating personal and professional lives and on being an elite athlete
Jill Jaracz: How do you separate Dame Lisa, the icon in New Zealand and the Olympic icon versus Lisa, who is probably a very normal person? Um, in many ways, I mean, normal, who can do extraordinary things, but like, oh, do you, do you, what is it like to have people recognize you or, [00:21:00] be a star in your country?
Dame Lisa Carrington: yeah, like, it, it is interesting. I think it’s something that, challenges me. I think like I. I think naturally I feel, you know, I think most people, you feel like you need to portray a certain picture of who you are. and so I guess with being a little bit more well known, it kind of gets a little bit more expectation to be that person that people think I am.
So that’s definitely a challenge, to maintain that level of. humility or confidence? Like, I think there’s two things there because, sometimes I’ll try to, not I’ll retract or, if I feel that I’ll be noticed or that type of thing, but actually it actually comes with like being confident, and not worrying so much about what people think.
Uh, because. I’m sure there’s more people now that have more of an opinion, than before. Uh, [00:22:00] and so I think, like you said, I don’t think for me, there’s, there should be a separation between like who that person is and who I am. So that’s something that I’m trying to, you know, I have to catch myself on. and, but I think it’s just an extension of me as a person that I always would’ve been if I wasn’t as well known.
So. Just being able to be confident enough, and not also not think that I’m more important than anyone else. So there’s like a, there’s a balance to that and having humility, but also confidence to just be myself. Yeah.
Jill Jaracz: I have a question. I can’t even out how to phrase it. No. But it, because I, I do, it’s fun to be the best at something. When you were a little girl, did you strive to be the best at something or was it just like as you went along you became the best?
Dame Lisa Carrington: yeah, like, I mean, there’s so many things that you do growing up and I think that [00:23:00] sport is something that I was always fairly good at.
I did grow up in a really small community, so I went to a really small school. From the age of five to I think 12. And so when you, there’s a small group of people, it’s not that hard to be good. So I think, um, I wasn’t necessarily, you know, I didn’t live in our big cities or our big schools where you are ranked, in that way.
So I think, I guess that maybe it helped to feel confident in sport. I don’t know that I would’ve been. Super great. And at that age, you know, we played sports like netball, as a summer, as a winter sport in New Zealand. And then, you know, during the summer I got into surf, life saving. yeah. But I, yeah, like I, I guess being naturally athletic and I, you know, I, [00:24:00] I guess I, my parents were both really sporty people.
I started sport when I was five, you know, you know, that was what we did. Um, I have two older brothers, so I think there’s all these things that kind of lead to being a little bit more physical because I wanted to be like my brothers. I wanted, so I was probably a little bit quicker at doing things.
Was catching a ball. Um, you know, being a bit, I don’t know, they weren’t very mean to me, but you kind of just gotta keep up. and yeah, wanting to be like them probably pushed me to, know or not see my boundaries. Yeah.
Alison Brown: Oh, I hope sometimes you’re just like to your brothers. Excuse me. That’s Dame Lisa.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah. When they’re trying to tell me what to do. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.
Dame Lisa Carrington on evolving goals throughout her career
Jill Jaracz: How have your goals changed as an athlete in person over the four games you’ve been in so far?
Dame Lisa Carrington: [00:25:00] yeah, I wonder if, I’ve never been great at setting goals. I think with outcome goals, um, I’ve always had this idea of just wanting to be the best I can be. But what I’ve learned over the time is actually how important it is to have a goal, to have a direction, particularly when you’re trying to do it with more than one person.
So finding that when we are in a team, at least if we all know where we’re going. a goal isn’t as scary when you are sharing it. but it also creates that accountability so that that difference between what it might take for me individually to what it might take for us as a team, there is definitely differences in that and something I’ve learned, um, over time, um, but also like I keep relearning and understanding what it means to have a goal.
but the goals themselves haven’t necessarily changed. I think it’s more recognizing [00:26:00] that they haven’t changed and I, you know, there is no better option than, you know, just trying to be the best you can be with, you know, the values you can, that you have. So I think for me it’s just realizing that, you know, I guess staying true to.
I, I, I guess with thinking that it’s all about the performance isn’t the best attitude to have, um, that it’s only about winning gold medals. It’s more than that. which is hard because sometimes, you know, that idea that you, your identity is wrapped up and whether you win or lose, and as much as, as we, as athletes try for it not to be like that, there’s definitely a challenge because.
When we go out there and perform, we get this incredible amount of, um, energy and drive and motivation when we are really competitive. Um, so it’s like tapping into those energy [00:27:00] systems within your, like within yourself, but then recognizing that it’s not all of who you are. You know, that, you’re more than just crossing the line first.
Dame Carrington on writing a children’s book
Alison Brown: Speaking about the things of more, that’s, you’re more than sport. You wrote a children’s book. Yeah. Which, so how did that come to be?
Dame Lisa Carrington: I think for a really long time, I, I guess when, for me, sport feels really selfish. it feels. like, I’m just working on me. And so for a long time I was like, I want to, I want, are there all these lessons I’ve learned?
Surely there’s a way that I can pass them on or figure out, you know, how others can learn from it. So, so fast forward a long time and, uh, yeah, I, worked with an amazing publishing house and we. Um, and then I wrote a book, kind of based on a bunch of those lessons, [00:28:00] that I’ve learned. Uh, obviously it only captures a few, but it was so special to be able to have something, that I could share.
And I probably didn’t realize until I did the, I did a bit of a book tour, around a few parts of New Zealand and just meeting. All the kids, I mean, and to be able to connect was really, really special. And so for me, it was not necessarily about passing on the lesson, but about meeting these children that have been, um, uh, have seen me have been impacted or, which was incredible.
So really, really grateful. And I guess that that kind of experience gave me a bit. More to share and connect with people and connect with kids. I didn’t really realize, the impact until I’d done that. Yeah.
Dame Carrington’s partnership with Zespri kiwifruit
Alison Brown: And things outside of sport, you have this new partnership [00:29:00] that you’re working on, which I, I love this, that, you know, the kiwi and the kiwi fruit, so.
Zes. Yeah. Tell us how this is all happening.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah, so Zespri, um, are an incredible New Zealand company. Um, we as New Zealanders, obviously Kiwi fruit, being a Kiwi, and something that I guess I’m so, you know, I feel so grateful to be able to be able to partner with them. they have been a huge part of my life is, You know, the headquarters to Zespri and all the, as near where I grew up, my family have been in Kiwi fruit orchards, growing kiwi fruit. So it’s an amazing connection. and they’re a great, I don’t know, they’re just a really great Kiwi company, um, taking on the world and, um, yeah. So it’s really amazing to be a part of that.
Jill Jaracz: Oh, okay. So green versus Sun Gold versus Ruby [00:30:00] Red.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah. Um, I do love the gold golden kiwi fruit. They’re, yeah. I mean, but they’re all pretty good. You know, I think the Ruby Red’s super new. I need to, you know, I’ve just had it in the last season, so I need to try, I, I wanna have another go
Jill Jaracz: Kiwi work versus, uh, fea.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Oh, I, I can’t say I, not many people will know what a fi joa is.
Um, I have had
Jill Jaracz: them, I’ve been to New Zealand during, oh, during, like the season, during harvest time. Yeah. It whole bunch.
Dame Lisa Carrington: They’re very, they’re very good and almost every. One, you know, will have have a fi a tree and they only, you know, they only ripen, there’s only like a month of the year that you can get them.
And they’re polarizing and a lot of people don’t like them. Yeah. How did you like it?
Jill Jaracz: Did [00:31:00] like it until someone, until the person who had the tree said after we were on like our third one. He’s like, yeah, they’re kind of, they kind of have a laxative effect and Oh, I put them, I put them down. But I found them really delicious.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah. Good. Yeah. Yeah. We have, you know, like, ’cause there’s, so people will just have. Because you also, people use ’em as hedging. They’re a really good hedge plant. Yeah. So then they’ll, so when they fruit, it’s like, we’ll just freeze them. But yeah, I, I must say that, I’m gonna back the kiwi fruit.
Jill Jaracz: So like, how are they beneficial nutritionally as an athlete? Besides Tea. Delicious. Yeah,
Dame Lisa Carrington: yeah, yeah. Kiwi fruit. I don’t know. They’re just like, they are a super food, so, they have an incredible amount of nutrients. So Vitamin C is a huge one. And as an athlete, we, you know, we do push our bodies right to the edge all the time, so our immunity doesn’t, you know, can be compromised because we are training so [00:32:00] hard.
So that’s like a really, I guess it’s a, a natural way to kind of get. Nutrients and which is so important to have it from a natural source. and then also like it’s fiber is incredible. So, really good for your digestion. and I think, you know, we, it’s, it is a super food. So yeah, it’s a really important part of, um, my diet.
Alison Brown: And it’s in that fun little package.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Exactly. It’s, it’s sanitary. Just cut it open, scoop it out.
Where are Dame Lisa Carrington’s silver ferns?
Alison Brown: So, speaking of New Zealand plants, one of the things that we love about the New Zealand Olympic Committee is how the Olympians and the Paralympians get a silver fern.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah. For,
Alison Brown: for each. So first do, do you get one for each Olympics?
Are they still alive?
Dame Lisa Carrington: so because I’ve been to four, [00:33:00] um, I don’t, I don’t think this was something we did for our first Olympics. Um, I have two, so from, Paris and Tokyo. So I don’t, I don’t know that we got one in Rio either. yeah, it’s amazing. Like we planted, I this really, uh, this kind of stream at the border, that border is my house, and so we have to have like a natural, runoff.
Um, and so we planted it out with amazing, native plants, and so it’s right in there. Um, and I, I can see it when I look down and it’s still alive. It’s growing really well.
Alison Brown: Because I don’t know what it means if something happens to it, you know, just, yeah,
Dame Lisa Carrington: I know. I, I agree. Um, let’s not think about that.
What’s next for Dame Lisa Carrington?
Alison Brown: Speaking of getting another plant, what’s your career looking like going forward?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Going forward? Yeah, so the next, we’ve got three [00:34:00] years until the next games, and so I’m back into it. I think trying to, I guess, always constantly get better in many ways. and I guess it’s trying to understand what it’s gonna take to, perform really well in la and then also continually grow and support other paddlers to do the same because, um, as far as I’m concerned.
I’m not there to do it on my own or I can’t do it on my own. Like I, it’s a, it’s gonna be a team effort. So, my plans, uh, that to con continue that work. Um, and then also I have, invested or I’ve become a part of an ownership group of a like really small, professional basketball team, based in Auckland here.
So we’ve gotta really, Like a three month tournament coming up, which starts on Sunday this week, which is really great. so for me it’s also about finding other ways to [00:35:00] give back and, you know, I think women’s sport is an incredible space to be in at the moment. and yeah, it’s all, all learning on how I can continue to, be, you know, more than just on the.
On the water or the athlete, what else can I do, um, outside that space?
Alison Brown: Okay. Do you bring the basketball players Kiwis?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Uh, ah, that’s a good idea. Yeah. They need snack. Have you any more ideas? I have, I
Jill Jaracz: have a, a practical question. ’cause you did take some time off this year to after, after Paris. paddlers are jacked, like your backs and your shoulders are amazing, like how much.
Did you lose much of that athletic, like how was it getting, how is it getting back into paddling? Like Yeah, like world class paddling, competitive shape. Yeah.
Dame Lisa Carrington: whilst I took a break, uh, I [00:36:00] mainly took it into just from racing, so I, yeah, I definitely would say that I’m not necessarily at the same level, but.
I probably, uh, continued, continued to train at about 90 to 95% of the time. So, probably not, I didn’t lose a ton. yeah, so, yeah, I think it’s also, I think I have this, I don’t wanna lose my strength, so. Yeah. But you know,
Jill Jaracz: well, okay, so do you have to do a lot of pullups? Is that part of your strength?
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Pullups, we do a lot of, um, pulling exercises. we have a, a exercise could, a bench pull, which is like a bench press, but the other way round. Oh, so from the ground up instead of, um, yeah. So. Yeah, it’s, I think last year whilst I took a bit of downtime off the racing, yeah. Managed to maintain a fair bit [00:37:00] of, um, fitness and things like that.
Alison Brown: Oh, almost forgot my favorite paddler question. Shoes are barefoot in the, in the boat.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Oh, I, I’m barefoot, but I walk to the edge of the water. In Jans or in. You know, Birkenstocks or whatever. So I’m, I’ve got really, I’ve got really soft feet. My, um, don’t have tough feet
Alison Brown: team. Lisa has delicate toes.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Yeah. I’m a soft, excellent.
Jill Jaracz: Dane Lisa Carrington, thank you so much for joining us and talking paddling and Kiwis and. We’ll be watching you as, as, uh, you go on to, uh, LA hopefully, knock on wood. Yeah.
Dame Lisa Carrington: Well, thank you. I’m so impressed in all the little things you knew about, uh, New Zealand and New Zealand athletes, so it’s really cool.
Jill Jaracz: Excellent. Thank you so much, Dame Lisa. You can find her on social at Liz Carrington. [00:38:00] We will have links to that in the show Notes.
Milano Cortina 2026 News
Jill Jaracz: Oh arm. Yes, harmony. That is the theme of our opening ceremonies for Milano Cortina 2026. And, this is a universal concept that becomes both a visual and emotional tale as the organizing committee says, it is a journey through art and innovation, nature and city, tradition and future. It’s a tribute to Italy and its values combining the evocative power of our history and culture with the Olympic spirit.
Nia will serve as the common thread of a story that weaves together imagination and beauty. Leonardo da Vinci, and the great inventors, Italian design and taste, music and elegance promis him a lot.
Alison Brown: I’m hope, I’m hoping this is going to be similar to what Athens did. Athens did an amazing job in its opening ceremony with [00:39:00] that bringing history and that incredible ancient tradition to life.
With the living statues. Remember those? Yeah. And, and Milano has this option to really dig deep and go back, which they haven’t done in a lot of their design elements. They’ve done this very modern, edgy fu Futura, and so let, I’m hoping they do a nice balance of both. A nice combination of both.
Jill Jaracz: Yes, I am hopeful for that as well.
And, the Italian actress, Matilda de Angelus will serve as the narrator for the show, and the ceremonies will include a moment of silence in honor of the late Giorgio Armani, who passed away on September 4th and designed many, many additions of team Italy’s uniforms.
Alison Brown: and Armani had those suitcases that I was coveting. Remember? Yes, I am still Okay. Team Italy. I am still [00:40:00] coveting one of those suitcases. Oh. Wouldn’t that be amazing if the media backpacks had the hologram on them? I know. They probably won’t even give us backpacks. They won’t. Yeah. Yeah. We won’t give anything.
I know. I’ll take a patch to just stick it on my own bag. Anything, anything with that hologram.
Jill Jaracz: So if you thought the Sun River Parade of Nations was physically long, I think Milano Cortina is gonna beat that. the show is going to be spread out across four locations. They will have Milano’s Sans Stadium.
There will be, ceremonies going on in Cortina, in Inso and Lavino. The interesting thing will be how they combine all of these and it’ll be a sign for like LA 2028. How do you do a, a show in multiple stadiums? But the great thing about this is that they put ceremonies in four locations so that the athletes could attend.
’cause otherwise, anybody who’s not in Milan basically is not gonna be able to go. And that makes me very happy. As we said the other week, each nation’s [00:41:00] going to have two flagbearers. They can be in different venues, and then Italy will have four flagbearers, two men and two women. So I’m very curious as to like, oh, if your, nation, like say you’re one of the.
A hundred or so cross country athletes. Remember cross country’s the one big sport that gets a lot of different nations. So I would imagine that a lot of their athletes would be there. Maybe that’s where the flags come in. It’ll, it’ll be interesting to see how that works and interesting
Alison Brown: to see it live versus what people are seeing on the television or on the broadcast.
Right,
Jill Jaracz: right. it will be seamless on streaming. On your screen, but, not so seamless, I would imagine in person. So we’ll see what that’s like. The producer and creative lead of the show is Marco Blich, who has been involved with ceremonies for 16 Olympics and Paralympics, including Torino 2006, Sochi 2014 closing ceremonies, and the Rio 2016 Olympic ceremonies.
So somebody’s got a [00:42:00] lot of experience doing this. Some of those ceremonies were pretty darn good.
Looking forward to what they are gonna put out. ’cause it does feel more real.
Alison Brown: I know, well, a hundred days. A hundred days
Jill Jaracz: after a vote by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation Council, Russian and BEUs athletes will not be able to compete as individual n neutral athletes for Milano Cortina.
So we will not see any neutral athletes in the skiing disciplines. That includes cross country ski jump, Nordic, combine, alpine skiing, ski and snowboard, cross freestyle, para Alpine, Paris Cross country, and Paris Snowboard. Good. I mean, it is causing, it’s causing a lot of controversy. it’s interesting because the IPC General Assembly voted to have athletes in, but if.
The Federation says, no
Alison Brown: federations run the competition. Yeah, right. As we’ve talked about,
Jill Jaracz: US listeners, Scott Hamilton [00:43:00] will be joining Mike Tico in the studio every night to cover the figure skating competition for NBC. It’s his 10th Olympics, so he ties Dick button for, announcing. This will be very cool.
I mean, obviously the US has a big presence in. Almost all of the disciplines. So the, they will be, uh, on watch every night.
Alison Brown: And Scott Hamilton’s now my friend ’cause we Oh, that’s right. We were in the elevator together for 14 seconds. So, hi Scottie. Look forward to seeing you.
Jill Jaracz: Abinav Bindra who, his story we read for book club, he announced on exit.
He’s gonna be a torch bearer for the torch relay.
Alison Brown: Oh, that’s very cool.
Jill Jaracz: It’s very exciting. from the follow up file from snow brains.com. Czech gear es Esther Eska has had to pick one discipline as you recall. She competes in both snowboard and, super G in alpine skiing and she’s won [00:44:00] golds in both was the first, winter.
Olympian to win golds in two different sports at the same Olympics. And they scheduled them both at the same time because she is qualified for both. The schedule did not work out. She petitioned that did not go her way and she has had to choose and she’s decided to, uh, compete in snowboard and that will be an attempt at a three-peat in the parallel giant slalom.
Alison Brown: And we will be cheering for her. Right. She deserved to be able to compete in both, but
yeah,
we want her successful in the one that she chose.
Jill Jaracz: Yes. And oh my gosh, the sliding novella had hopes and then like they, Italy finished that and then the, the organizing committee said, oh, we’re done with the village on time.
And I’m like, what is going on? Italy is really following through on stuff. Oh, there’s a novella sitting there waiting for us to open it. I’m so excited, and I know it’s not nice to be excited [00:45:00] about something, not great possible, but, you know, this happens every time and we knew it was gonna happen. There’s an issue with the new hockey stadium.
I
Alison Brown: and, and Sean Callahan, when he was in Milan said this did not look anywhere near done. Oh boy. And he was in,
in what? July, August, not long ago.
Jill Jaracz: and we’re gonna have Sean on the show soon talking about the different places that he went to, but the AP is reporting that the new 16,000 seat Santa Julia’s hockey arena will not be finished in time for the test event in December. And they’re gonna have to have the main test event in a smaller venue where they’re gonna test operations, but they’re not gonna be able to test the ice and the playing surface that’s actually going to get used in the Olympics.
the new venue might not have a game until the first [00:46:00] women’s prelim match on February 5th, and the Milano Cortina 2026 CEO, Andrea Varney said the construction timeline is very tight. You think And Andrea. Yeah. Yeah. Right. And then the other one I just, I love this, NHL Commissioner Gary Beman is concerned and has been concerned for the last two years,
Alison Brown: rightly so.
Right? Because there’s an issue of player safety if you haven’t tested the ice surface.
Jill Jaracz: Right. But he did say that the NHL is a IOC guest, and then it’s the International Olympic Committee’s responsibility to do the venue, to which we say, Gary Petman. Oh, you don’t know how this really works. The IOC is not responsible for anything.
It’s Milan, Corina and, uh,
Alison Brown: you sweet summer child.
Jill Jaracz: Yeah. Know. I know. So the NHL expects that Milano’s gonna make good on this brand new venue. Have a first class venue from a [00:47:00] competitive standpoint ready to go.
Alison Brown: Right of, of all the venues you could have screwed up. We thought it was gonna be the sliding track.
Right? Right. And that okay, you had backups, you but the hockey arena where you’ve got NHL players who are probably gonna be some of the most demanding in terms of expectation for their venue. Just because, you know, the NHL players and even the, players from the PWHL as well, they’re not used to scrimping on their venues. Right. I’m not talking luxuries, I’m just talking about quality of ice, quality of, of safety measures, the, you know, everything being up to snuff. This is not the venue to mess up Milan.
Jill Jaracz: Right. And you have sold tickets for this venue?
Alison Brown: A lot of tickets.
Jill Jaracz: Yeah. It’s, I mean, it’s a, a hugely popular event. Once you got NHL signed on, what a draw that is [00:48:00] for the fans and. You’ve got this 16,000 seat arena that you wanted to build, because I think after it’s done, they want to turn it into a hockey, uh, not a hockey, uh, a tennis venue, which would be nice because tennis, the Italian tennis players have really been on the up and up for a long time.
And when you’re gonna test in a smaller venue, what if you have to move to that smaller venue? I, I don’t know what the plan B is here.
Alison Brown: They’re using both venues, I think as it is. Oh, that’s right. So I think that plan B is you have games 24 hours a day. I mean, there’s no other there, or you just have games in a crummy facility.
Jill Jaracz: Right. I mean, it could be that, that what gets done is, I don’t know. We’ll have to look and see if there are, Pictures or try to find out something of what is going on with the actual construction on this. and I think, [00:49:00] well, the test event in December, which I believe, but don’t quote me, I believe that’s early in December and then you’d have like two months.
Yeah. I dunno. But we got a new novella on our hands. People,
Alison Brown: I can tell you what’s not gonna be done in that arena. The press room. Right. The press bathrooms better be finished, man, telling you that right now. ’cause those hockey games can get long. Those sessions are, you’re there all day.
Jill Jaracz: Yes. Yes. So we’ll see how this one goes.
Team Keep the Flame Alive News
Alison Brown: Welcome to Shuk Stan.
Jill Jaracz: It is the time of the show where we check in with our team, keep the flame alive. These are past guests and listeners of the show who make up the citizenship of our very own country. Shuk Stan.
Alison Brown: Bobby Body won bronze at the Para Powerlifting World Championship, breaking the Para Pan Am Games.
Record in the process.
Jill Jaracz: Race Walker Evan Dunphy and and [00:50:00] fiance Sarah were married on October 12th
Alison Brown: and I wanna see pictures of Mama Dunphy’s dress. ’cause we had a whole discussion with Evan about his mom buying a dress. Als also on exciting family news Rugby sevens, coach Ben Ryan and his wife Michelle Kerley.
Welcomed baby Nala Lo Ryan on October 14th.
Jill Jaracz: Get well wishes to wheelchair racer Daniel Roman Chuck who did not get to race in the Chicago Marathon this year due to uh, shoulder injury, but his wife ran it.
Alison Brown: Nice pole Vault or Katie Moon was honored by her alma mater, Ashland University with a pillar at the Dwight Shar Athletic Complex on campus.
Jill Jaracz: And Team Schuster is competing in the 2025 Pan Continental Curling Championships. And I have something about listener. Brian and I have been talking, remember last week when you talked about video game cassettes? I scoffed.
Alison Brown: You scoffed. And did, did listener Brian come to my rescue yet [00:51:00] again?
Jill Jaracz: He did come to your rescue yet again.
There may be something in our substack newsletter about this, because it’s fabulous. He said there were a couple games for the Atari 2,600. there was an alpine skiing one, and then there was a decathlon one where if you scored high enough, you took a picture of your screen and you mailed it in, and they would send you an actual patch.
Alison Brown: For Mr. Obrien coming to my rescue again, you know, he’s the one who we had a whole discussion about Gina, Lola Brita. So listen to Brian has saved me and my cultural references. More than once, but yes, I knew there were video game cassettes and I would very, very willingly take a picture of my screen. I was never very good at Atari, and I would’ve sent it in for a patch, but I would never have scored high enough.
Jill Jaracz: Yes, I apparently, if you got on the podium, they had a gold, silver, and bronze one, and, and he said he worked very, [00:52:00] very hard. But every time he went to take a picture, like the camera was not very good. I mean, you’re taking a picture of your cam with your camera and you would have to develop the film, and then you send it in, and then you wait like six to eight weeks for it to come back.
Alison Brown: You needed a Polaroid,
Jill Jaracz: right? You did need a Polaroid, but, oh, that was a, a, a fun and amazing thing when you think about like the, the blurred lines between video and analog stuff. And, I, I, I would love to know other, uh, ’cause we’ve talked a little bit in the, the Facebook group about the video games.
That have happened and if you’ve got a video game or played like that, Tokyo 2021, which I believe was online as well, or an app. Yes. If you’ve got favorite sport games
Alison Brown: and it’s so fun to hear the generations, like I remember having an Atari as a kid. Mm-hmm. [00:53:00] But then, you know, I know Book Club Claire is that much younger than us and talks about, you know, Sega and some of those other things.
And then, you know, some of our other listeners being children. In their thirties talking about, you know, uh, the PS ones or, or, or the, you know, the PlayStations and, and how quickly over these past 40 years, the, the video game systems changed and the Olympics really got into it early. And need to get back to it, get back with Sega and I mean, you have your agreement.
Make me a video game cassette that I can play.
Jill Jaracz: So yes, if you have favorite Olympic titles or favorite. Olympic adjacent stuff like decathlon wasn’t an official Olympic thing, but boy, you think about Olympic sports, you’re, it’s, it’s decathlon. So if you’ve got some favorites, let us know what they are and we’ll try to put together a little compendium and uh, go down that rabbit hole for a little while.
’cause I think it would be a lot of [00:54:00] fun.
Review of the Week
Jill Jaracz: What else we’d like to hear from you is what you think of the show and what, what do we got for our review
of the week?
Alison Brown: So our friends over at Run Your Story podcast said that we have a great podcast and that we are fantastic ladies who are so encouraging.
Jill Jaracz: Thank you very much, friends, and if you’d like to hear your name here, leave us a review on your podcast app or check out the other ways to get in touch with us in the episode details.
You can leave, comments on our Facebook page or group or write into the show. Leave us voicemail. We would love to pull your voicemails for sure, And that is gonna do it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening,
Alison Brown: and until next time, keep the flame alive.