Graham joined Canoe Racing New Zealand in May 2023, bringing a wide range of experience from across New Zealand’s high performance sport and corporate sectors. He has been an elite athlete for New Zealand, head coach of a large school rowing programme, and Chairperson of a major not-for-profit organisation, alongside developing extensive corporate and financial expertise.
A dynamic and innovative leader, Graham has a proven track record of building high-performing teams and strong organisational cultures. Prior to CRNZ, he spent eight years at Westpac NZ in a variety of leadership roles, most recently delivering a large-scale product strategy and technology transformation project. In parallel, Graham served as Chair of Karapiro Rowing, where he developed and implemented a new organisational strategy, modernised operations, and oversaw the delivery of the North Island’s largest watersport events, including the Maadi Cup.
As an athlete, Graham spent six years in the New Zealand Rowing programme, winning three medals at World Championship level. He is of Ngāpuhi whakapapa.
Stacey has been with Canoe Racing since mid 2013, coming from a background in Financial accounting and management as well as owning various businesses.
Stacey is responsible for overseeing the financial aspects of the organisation as well as the overall business operations.
She lives on the North Shore in Auckland and has three children.
Sarah has a background in administration (including accounts payable and receivables work) and recruitment. Sarah was a personal trainer for seven years.
Tristan brings over 25 years of experience in high performance sport, beginning his career in the UK before moving to New Zealand in 2011. His extensive cross-code consultancy work spans coaching, programme development, and campaign management, giving him a unique perspective on what drives success at the highest level.
Having worked alongside the CRNZ High Performance programme since 2013, Tristan is deeply familiar with our sport’s strategy, structure, and people.
Tristan lives in Mairangi Bay with his Kiwi wife and two children, and we are excited to have his leadership.
Chris Mehak joined Canoe Racing New Zealand’s High Performance team in early 2023 as a Performance Coach based in Auckland. His primary role has been working alongside Gordon Walker and the Women’s squad, contributing to one of the most successful periods in New Zealand canoe sprint history, including the achievement of winning all 3 women’s kayak sprint medals at the Paris Olympics.
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Chris brings extensive coaching experience from his time as Head Coach at Balmy Beach Canoe Club, one of Canada’s leading clubs. He was also a former Canadian national team athlete, competing at ICF World Championships in 2010 and 2011 in K4 1000m and K1 500m events. His coaching career spans elite athletes in men’s and women’s kayak, paracanoe, and Special Olympics disciplines.
Chris is passionate about fostering a high-performance environment that balances innovation, athlete wellbeing, and technical excellence. His international perspective and proven track record make him a key contributor to CRNZ’s vision of being the world’s best paddling nation.
A CRNZ Life Member and former international sprint paddler, Gavin brings decades of coaching experience and a strong athlete‑centered approach to our High Performance programme. His focus is on our high performance athletes, supporting Para athletes, and contributing to international campaigns.
His leadership has ensured that our athletes receive consistent, world-class support from development through to podium success.
As an ex-international paddler, Gavin understands the demands of elite sport firsthand. He has played a key role in preparing athletes for major events, including the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, and continues to mentor coaches and athletes to maintain New Zealand’s position as a global leader in canoe sprint.
Emily joined Canoe Racing New Zealand in 2022 and was appointed as a Performance Coach in 2026, supporting the daily development and preparation of New Zealand’s high performance athletes. Prior to this, she led CRNZ’s development pathway, working closely with athletes, coaches and clubs across the country.
Emily was a New Zealand representative paddler at Junior and U23 level. She then started coaching at Poverty Bay Kayak Club while working as a teacher. Always seeking to improve her skills and ability to better support her paddlers, Emily became involved in CRNZ pathway coaching and was appointed as one of the coaches of the 2021 Junior and U23 World Championships team.
In 2022, she was selected to join High Performance Sport New Zealand’s Te Hāpaitanga programme, an 18-month holistic coach development initiative designed to enable more women to pursue and maintain a career in high performance coaching in Aotearoa New Zealand. Emily continues to build her expertise across athlete development and performance coaching, helping athletes progress from pathway to podium.
Chris joined Canoe Racing New Zealand in 2026 as National Pathway Lead, responsible for leading the development and delivery of CRNZ’s athlete pathway, coach development initiatives, and club engagement programmes across New Zealand. Chris works closely with athletes, coaches, clubs and performance staff to strengthen connections between participation, development and high performance.
Chris brings extensive experience in national sport leadership, pathway development and coach education. Prior to joining CRNZ, he held leadership roles within Surf Life Saving New Zealand, where he led national programmes, developed organisational strategies, partnered with clubs, and built systems to support athlete and coach progression.
Passionate about creating environments where people can thrive, Chris has a strong interest in athlete development, coach capability and building sustainable sport systems. He is committed to helping more paddlers, coaches and clubs achieve their potential while supporting the long-term growth and success of paddlesport in New Zealand.
Maree came to CRNZ in early 2022 from Triathlon NZ, where she spent eight years as Operations Manager.
Maree supports Nathan in running the operations and logistics for the CRNZ Performance Program (including the Performance Pathway), and helps our team implement the new CRNZ Picture of Performance and Holistic Performance Framework. She is based at the CRNZ High Performance Centre in Karapiro.
Of Tainui and Maniapoto whakapapa, Maree is also a former elite rower, having spent 11 years rowing as a junior, U23 and Elite NZ representative.
Danika started at Canoe Racing NZ in 2021, after 6 years in the Participation and Development department at Yachting NZ. Prior to joining the team, she was involved in the development of new paddling participation initiatives with CRNZ.
Danika is responsible for leading the Participation and Engagement strategic pillars, to help grow and develop paddling in New Zealand. She is hugely passionate about helping get more people out on the water for fun, wellbeing and competition.
Based in Auckland, she is a keen paddler, predominantly in ocean ski, and regularly competes in paddling and multisport events.
Lauren brings over 20 years of experience in event management and community engagement, with a strong focus on aquatic sports. She has led the delivery of major national and international events, including the NZ Ocean Swim Series and Ocean Swim Fiji, and held senior roles at Wellington City Council overseeing civic celebrations and sporting showcases.
As the former Director and Co-Owner of Teamline, Lauren built enduring partnerships with Swimming NZ, Surf Lifesaving NZ, and regional aquatic organisations, while also navigating the complexities of retail operations and sponsorship engagement. Her leadership style is calm, collaborative, and grounded in integrity.
A lifelong water sport enthusiast, Lauren is an active member of her local Surf Life Saving Club, where she coaches junior athletes and serves as a Lifeguard and Patrol Captain. Her deep personal connection to aquatic sport and her strategic event expertise make her a valuable asset to CRNZ’s mission to deliver high-quality, inclusive, and community-driven events.
Aaron joined CRNZ in 2019 after several years at Canoe Slalom New Zealand, serving many roles including CSNZ High Performance Manager and High Performance Coach.
With a passion for both participation and performance, Aaron’s current role straddles both as he leads various projects to develop systems and programmes to ensure long term success and sustainability of the sport. His current focuses include the Sport NZ Strengthen & Adapt Project, Disability Inclusion, Coach Development and implementation of the new Paddler Portal.
Aaron was an international-level slalom paddler and continues to coach at the highest level, with his athlete competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Nowadays, he loves getting out for a downwind with mates on his oceanski.
With a 30+ year ICT career, most recently Chief Commercial Officer for a Māori telecommunications organisation, Garth brings to the CRNZ Board significant experience at a corporate governance level, with strengths in digital transformation, commercial negotiation, the development and implementation of strategic plans and operational delivery.
Appointed to the CRNZ Board in 2025, Aniwa first became involved in sprint kayaking through her two daughters’ participation in the sport. After a short stint in canoe racing herself, she began officiating in 2017 and has since officiated many national events, and has served as the Chief Official at the Canoe Racing New Zealand National Canoe Sprint Championships.
From 2020, she spent five years as Coach Coordinator at Arawa Canoe Club in Christchurch, supporting athlete and coach development at the grassroots level. She also paddles waka ama for Waitaha, valuing the sense of community that comes from being involved in multiple paddling disciplines.
Outside of the sport, Aniwa works as the team leader at Te Pae Oranga and brings valuable experience in communication and leadership. She is also a volunteer guide with Achilles, supporting athletes with disabilities to participate in running events.
Anne is a highly respected For Purpose leader. She has headed several of Aotearoa New Zealand’s high-profile cultural organisations such as the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, educational organisations such as Cognition Education Trust (formerly Multi-Serve), has consulted to local government and charitable organisations, lectured in arts industry management and served on granting committees, government and Not-for-Profit boards. Her recent projects have been with local government bodies in the Hawke’s Bay and Taranki regions and, for JBWere Philanthropic Services; she is currently the Project Manager of the Dilworth Response.
Anne has delivered some of New Zealand’s iconic programmes and events including the Michael Hill International Violin Competition since 2001, the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival and the 2020 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards; she is the co-author of Tomorrow’s Board Diversity: The Role of Creatives.
Appointed to the CRNZ Board in 2024, Darren serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Waikato Hockey Association, and previously as CEO of Swimming Waikato. With two decades of experience in the sports industry, Darren has held various roles across Europe, the Middle East, and New Zealand. He earned an MA in History from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in Performance Coaching from the University of Stirling, and is a member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand.
In addition to his executive responsibilities, Darren has a strong background in performance coaching. He has worked with national teams, contributing to their successes at World Championships and the Olympics, with notable involvement with the Serbian Olympic Team.
Ross joined the Canoe Racing New Zealand Board in 2026, bringing more than 30 years of executive leadership, governance and commercial experience across New Zealand and Australasian organisations. He currently serves as Managing Director of Hillcrest Promotions and has held senior leadership roles across sales, strategy and business development throughout his career.
A passionate contributor to paddlesport, Ross has been President of North Shore Canoe Club since 2023, leading the club through a significant period of growth and redevelopment. His involvement in the sport has given him a strong understanding of athlete pathways, club development, volunteer engagement and the important connection between clubs and national sporting organisations. In recognition of his contribution, Ross was awarded the 2025 CRNZ Volunteer of the Year Award alongside Sonja Brown.
Ross is passionate about building strong, sustainable sporting organisations and brings expertise in strategic planning, financial oversight, governance and stakeholder engagement. As a Board Member, he is committed to supporting the long-term growth of paddlesport in New Zealand and ensuring CRNZ remains community-focused, well governed and future-ready.
Florina joined the Canoe Racing New Zealand Board in 2026 as an Appointed Board Member. A Chartered Accountant with extensive finance and governance experience, she brings strong expertise in financial stewardship, risk management and organisational governance to the Board.
Florina has been actively involved in paddlesport through Arawa Canoe Club, where she has served as a committee member since 2022. She is passionate about supporting the growth and sustainability of community sport and has contributed to a number of governance and volunteer initiatives both within and beyond canoe racing. In recognition of her contribution, Florina received the CRNZ Volunteer of the Year Award in 2024 and the Arawa Canoe Club Volunteer Award in 2025.
Professionally, Florina is a senior Chartered Accountant and currently serves as Chair of the Canterbury Branch of Governance New Zealand. She is passionate about helping organisations strengthen their governance, financial capability and long-term sustainability. As a Board Member, Florina is committed to supporting the continued growth and success of paddlesport in New Zealand.
Michelle joined the Canoe Racing New Zealand Board as an Associate Board Member in 2026. She brings more than 15 years of experience in strategic partnerships, commercial negotiations, media rights and business development across the sport and entertainment industries.
Michelle currently works with Sky Network Television, where she leads negotiations and strategic planning around major sports content acquisitions across broadcast, digital and social platforms. Her experience includes financial analysis, long-term investment planning and working closely with executive teams on strategic decision-making.
A passionate advocate for community sport and women’s sport, Michelle is the founder of a community sports platform and has a strong interest in participation growth, athlete pathways and the long-term sustainability of high-performance and community sport in New Zealand. She brings a valuable commercial and media perspective to the Board and is committed to helping CRNZ create new opportunities for paddlers, clubs and the wider sport.
