Olympic gold medallist Lisa Carrington has been named the Maori Sportsperson of the Year.

"Being the first Maori to take a gold medal at the Olympics is special," she told the award ceremony in Auckland tonight.

The K1 canoeist from Ohope, of Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki descent, took the Albie Pryor Memorial Award.

Receiving the honour she said it wasn't easy to win a gold medal but it was achievable.

"I paddle a waka - the same as the way Maori came to New Zealand - so it is in my blood," she told the audience.

She said the next Olympics were ahead at Rio and she was planning to be there.

"I hope I can do everyone proud."

She was among 22 Olympians, three Paraolympians, 11 world champions and four world champion teams honoured last night at the 22^nd award ceremony in Manukau.

Carrington was also senior Maori sports woman of the year. Olympic rower Storm Uru, of Cambridge and Ngai Tahu, was senior sportsman and the junior sportswoman went to Manurewa's outrigger canoeist Kataraina Brown (Ngati Hako).  Rugby player Jason Emergy (Ngati Maniapoto) was junior sportsman.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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