If kayak sprinter Juri Urada makes the Japanese team for the 2024 Paris Olympics it 'd be fair to say New Zealand – not to mention Lisa Carrington – will have played a big part in her journey.
As a keen student of kayaking in her teens, Juri Urada became fascinated by the global exploits of Kiwi Lisa Carrington, the double Olympic champion, and the world-class New Zealand women’s kayak squad.
Keen to develop her paddler skills, she thought it logical to learn from the best, so four years ago made contact with Canoe Racing New Zealand via the Japanese Canoe Federation to explore the possibility about living and training in New Zealand.
When CRNZ recommended Urada should base herself at the North Shore Canoe Club on Lake Pupuke – where Lisa and the national women’s high performance squad are also based - the Japanese paddler was delighted.
“Lisa is my hero, she is a superstar,” admits Urada. “When I was younger, I was also so impressed by the New Zealand women’s K4 team. I wanted to be like those girls so much.
“The chance to be able to train in the same environment as them, and perhaps learn from them was too good an opportunity to turn down.”
After undergoing a reconnaissance trip in late-2017 with her mum to check out the training environment in New Zealand, Urada returned the following April to settle in Auckland.
Despite not being able to speak a word of English following her arrival, Urada’s naturally sweet nature endeared her to all at the North Shore Canoe Club and under the coaching of Gavin Elmiger she has made significant improvements.
Yet after three years in New Zealand in March she returned to her homeland in pursuit of a place in the Japanese team at the Tokyo Olympics.
Hailing from the town of Kamiichi in the prefecture of Toyama in central Honshu, Urada was an active schoolgirl and competed in a range of sports including athletics, badminton and beach volleyball.
However, she found her true calling after she was introduced to kayaking through her older sister, who paddled at the local club.
Initially finding staying upright in the K1 a challenge, she nonetheless persisted and adds: “I quickly found paddling fun. To be on the water and feel the wind on your face is such a cool feeling.”
Urada also developed into one of Japan’s strongest young paddlers and on her international debut snagged three medals – including K2 200m gold - at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships.
Yet fascinated by Carrington and her success, she was to choose New Zealand for the next phase of her kayaking journey.
It was a brave move and it took time to adapt. Shortly after arriving she enrolled on an English language course while her first competitive regatta at Blue Lake in Rotorua proved a shock to the system.
“It was super cold, and I remember I was so nervous racing the top girls,” she says. “I only made the semi-finals, but I was not too disappointed, it was a cool experience to race the New Zealand elite women and the top under-23 paddlers.”
Training full-time two to three times a day six days a week, the 21-year-old, Urada has been fully committed to improving as a paddler.
“Technically I’ve become a lot stronger but I’ve become mentally stronger too,” she explains of how she improved as a paddler in New Zealand. “I’ve learned how to enjoy the hard work in training. At the moment, I’m really enjoying my kayaking.”
At the 2020 New Zealand Canoe Sprint Championships she offered further evidence of her rising talent when placing sixth in the A Final of K1 200m and eighth in the K1 500m – on both occasions behind Carrington, the race winner.
Meanwhile, in the crew boats she secured open women’s K4 500m gold and K4 200m silver medals for the North Shore Canoe Club.
Urada’s development earned her the opportunity to join in training sessions with some of New Zealand’s leading U23 paddlers; Alicia Hoskin, Lucy Matehaere and Samalulu Clifton.
Meanwhile, she has also been invited to join in the odd training session alongside the like of established New Zealand paddling stars such as Carrington, Caitlin Regal and Kayla Imrie.
“It is a great experience to train with world-class paddlers,” she says. “I remember first meeting Lisa and thinking I couldn’t believe it was actually her. It is nice in training to compare the gap between myself and Lisa - a world and Olympic champion.”
Following the postponement of February’s New Zealand Canoe Sprint Championships because of the pandemic, Urada said she was “disappointed” to be denied a final competitive opportunity in the country before returning to Japan.
More disappointment followed with the decision to cancel the Olympic Trials and instead select the Japanese team based on the Asian Championships – an event Juri did not compete in.
However, she remains determined to fulfil her future international goals of competing at the World Championships and 2024 Paris Olympics
“I loved my time in New Zealand and I learned so much, but I had to go back to Japan to try and make teams,” she explains. “It will not happen in Tokyo but I hope to win selection for Paris 2024.”
Unsure if visa requirements will allow her to return to train in New Zealand in the future, she nonetheless has many happy and cherished memories of her time in Aotearoa.
“Training here was been a fantastic opportunity for me”, she explains. “I’ve learned so much. To be given the chance to race the high performance girls has been amazing.”
Yet whatever happens in the future she hopes this will not be the full-stop on her New Zealand connection.
“In future, I would definitely love to strengthen the kayak relationship between Japan and New Zealand,” she adds.
“I feel like the coaching styles are quite different between Japan and New Zealand and I would like to share what I’ve learned in Japan. Hopefully other athletes, just like me, will be given the chance to train and improve by spending time in New Zealand.”
