|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The reality of a big win is sinking in for Finn Murphy after claiming a silver medal in the men’s KL3 200m at the recent ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup.
Held in Brandenburg an der Havel (west of Berlin) the competition was quite the step up for Murphy who made his international debut just 12 months ago.
“Leading into Brandenburg I had a lot of anxiety and doubts creeping into my mind – was I good enough, was I even in the right para sport?” There [has] definitely been an element of imposter syndrome,” he says.
“But, after winning silver, I feel validated. I’ve gained confidence and I know that will translate into improvements in training and better results down the line.”
In the KL3 class, athletes typically have an impairment that affects paddling performance – Murphy is a below-the-knee amputee.
A late surge during the final lifted Murphy into a tie for silver, but he was unaware of this when he crossed the line.
“When I looked up at the scoreboard and saw I’d won silver, I was chuffed,” he says. “I felt like I’d executed the race well and I was stoked with how it went, but I’d definitely surprised myself.”
A significant mindset shift ahead of the competition proved decisive, he says.
“I realised I needed to stop putting so much pressure on myself. Sport is supposed to be fun and, really, there’s nothing riding on it. As soon as I purged the negative thoughts, I was able to execute my best race.”
Raised on a Tuakau lifestyle block, Murphy first dipped his toe into the water of competitive rowing with the Mercer Rowing Club.
However, it wasn’t until after he lost a leg due to a motorbike accident in 2021 that he took up para canoe, quickly progressing to become a national gold medal-winning rower.
His next challenge sees Murphy go for gold again, this time at the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Poland, August 26–30.
