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Arguably New Zealand\u2019s greatest ever Olympian, Dame Lisa Carrington is the best in the canoe sprint game.\xa0

She\u2019s brought home a staggering total of nine medals across four Olympic Games, eight of them gold, and one bronze, dominating the water.\xa0

Despite her massive success, Carrington doesn\u2019t believe this is the best she\u2019s capable of, telling Newstalk ZB\u2019s Mike Hosking that you have to be able to look beyond the finish line or gold medal and set yourself other goals.\xa0

\u201cIf I thought that winning a gold medal was my best, I would\u2019ve stopped in London. I would\u2019ve stopped after Rio, I would\u2019ve stopped after Tokyo.\u201d\xa0

Carrington has been competing for over a decade now, but it\u2019s taken her up until this year\u2019s Games to have 100% joy and satisfaction in racing.\xa0

\u201cI think a lot of the time I\u2019ve raced in the past, and it\u2019s been out of just needing to win, just because that\u2019s the expectation on me,\u201d she told Hosking.\xa0

\u201cBut for Paris, I\u2019ve managed to get to a place where I was like, you know what, I\u2019m just gonna do my best.\u201d\xa0

And doing her best panned out, with Carrington netting a total of three gold medals in the 2024 Games.\xa0

Photo / Jason Oxenham

There comes a point in every successful athlete's career where the question on everyone\u2019s mind is: what\u2019s next? \xa0

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\u2019s unsure whether she wants to leave while on top or not. \xa0

\u201cBeing in the position I am, you know, being the fastest I\u2019ve ever been, strongest, whatever, it is hard to think \u2018Oh maybe I\u2019ll stop now,\u2019\u201d Carrington said.\xa0

\u201cBecause well, what else is there?\u201d \xa0

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.\xa0

And when it comes to new and different challenges, Carrington has fulfilled a goal she\u2019s had since Tokyo: writing a children's book.\xa0

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.\xa0

\u201cThere'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.\u201d\xa0

It\u2019s the first of what Carrington hopes to be a series, with her leaving the ending open for another journey.\xa0

\u201cToo many lessons to learn and relearn.\u201d\xa0

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