Murphy’s mind over matter

From Franklin to Germany and Poland, local paddler, Finn Murphy is laying down the law, leaving the world in his wake.

On August 26–30, he’s aiming to add to his laurels with a win at the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships. However, rather than keeping his eyes on the prize, Murphy has his sights set on the process.

Last year, he won the B final on Lake Malta in Poznan, Poland and this time, he’s hoping for an even better result.

“I’m definitely aiming for an improvement on last year, but my goal is just to execute my plan as well as I can. If so, then the results will take care of themselves,” he says.

As previously covered in the Times, Finn knows how to win. He also claimed a silver medal at the Paracanoe World Cup in Brandenburg, Germany in May.

In a way, mind over matter matters in this sport.

“I’m confident the work I’ve done has put me in good stead to make something good happen. The World Cup changed my mindset. It gave me confidence and shifted my mentality around training and competing, but I also found the pressure I had been put on myself was actually inhibiting my performances,” he explains.

“So, I’m approaching this next regatta as a learning experience. If I end up in medal contention, great, but I’m more focused on executing my race plan and getting closer to the perfect race.”

All going well, this dedicated canoeist is already charting a course to the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.

“Qualification for the Paralympics is dependent on how many points I accrue over the next two years. My second-place result in Brandenburg puts me in good stead but there are no guarantees,” he explains.

“If I get a decent result in Poznan, it takes the pressure off a bit, but definitely not enough to take my foot off the accelerator. The Paralympics is absolutely the pinnacle event for the sport, though. There is only one Paralympic champ every four years, so it really holds prestige over everything else.”

Considering he is still relatively new to the sport, Murphy’s rise has been meteoric. Raised on a Tuakau lifestyle block, he picked up the paddle for paracanoe a few years ago after a motorbike accident. He made his international debut last year.

Although he’s now taking on the world far from home, Murphy can depend on a vocal cheering section.

“My parents are flying over to watch and I’ll have my sister and all my best friends cheering me on from home. Every time I compete, I’m inundated with messages of support from people, so I definitely feel the love whenever I’m away.”

All going well, when he does return home it will be with a gold medal in hand. He may not receive quite the Romanesque triumph accorded to another Franklin sportsman, but Murphy also credits a (near enough) local club with helping channel him towards success.

“I haven’t rowed at the Mercer Rowing Club for 10 years now and rowing and kayaking don’t share too much aside from both being watersports, but the club was fundamental to my development as a young athlete and I’m incredibly grateful [for that].” he says.

“As for a Ryan Fox-level reception, I think my dogs’ reaction to me returning will probably be as welcoming as his dogs’ was for him, and I’ll also be pretty keen to get hold of a meat pie when I get back, but that might be where the similarities end.”

However, another similarity, winning, has already begun. Gold medals in Poland and even in LA should make sure they continue.