Paddling for gold at Canoe Polo World Championships

Following a 6-1 win over Italy, the New Zealand Paddle Ferns claimed victory and gold on the world stage. The team was led by Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University nursing graduate Kate Blincoe and included current Massey students Alyssa Shepherd (Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Science), Georgia Wheeler (Bachelor of Veterinary Science) and Klara Richter (Master of Clinical Psychology).

The lead-up to the event involved an intense 10 months of training, with the team from Aotearoa New Zealand facing vastly different conditions compared to their Northern Hemisphere counterparts.

“Training through winter was surreal and challenging, especially knowing almost every other team was in much warmer conditions. But with determination and a common goal in mind, we pushed through, and it really paid off. We knew we deserved to be there,” Alyssa says.

While winning gold was a major highlight, Georgia says another memorable moment was their 2-0 victory over France in a pool play game.

“This was momentous for us, as they are the second-ranked team in the world. We had some close games, but this one was huge for our team, both in terms of results and head space. France is always a very competitive team, so we were thrilled to come away with this result.”

Throughout the year, the team worked closely with a sports psychologist to ensure they were in the best possible mindset for the competition, both as individuals and as a collective. Georgia says this translated into a calm, composed performance on the water that played a significant role in their success.

“Our team motto is ‘a group of strong, respected women, committed to each other and reaching our full potential’. It reflects our core values: loyalty, bravery and staying true to one another while trusting the process. We are a very close group and being on tour together only made our bond stronger.

“Playing among the best in the world has instilled great confidence in us, especially since, coming from little old New Zealand, we’re never quite sure how we’ll match up against the Europeans!” Georgia says.

The team are now working towards the New Zealand National League, aiming for a fourth consecutive National Championship, followed by an Oceania event in April 2025 and the World Games in China in August. Academically, Alyssa is set to complete her Bachelor of Business and Science degree, Klara will be completing her Clinical Psychology internship and Georgia is gearing up for her third year of Veterinary Science studies.

As student athletes, they’ve found the support of Massey’s Academy of Sport programme invaluable in helping them balance sport and study.

“As a self-funded sport, we’re incredibly grateful for the financial support through the Academy of Sport’s travel fund, which has allowed us to focus more on training and eased financial strain,” Klara says.

“The programme has been a huge help with assignment extensions while we’re competing,” Alyssa adds.

The event also saw other Massey student athletes represent New Zealand, with Bachelor of Business student Hayley Austin competing in the U21 Paddle Ferns and earning a bronze. Bachelor of Sport and Exercise student Connor Taylor played for the men’s Paddle Blacks, and Bachelor of Agribusiness student Scott Grey competed in the men’s U21 Paddle Blacks.