Paralympian #231 Peter Cowan believes winning bronze at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games proved he can perform when it matters most – an experience he hopes will give him an edge at the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Poznan later this week (26–31 August NZT).
The 31-year-old paddler gained huge confidence from his performance at Paris 2024 and has continued to develop the processes he believes allow him to perform more consistently when the pressure is on.
“Paris was the start of understanding what I needed to do to show up in the big moments,” explains Peter. “Prior to Paris I was in more of a reactive state, more go with the flow, with no way of knowing how I would react in the big moments.
“I just feel I have improved as a Para athlete. I now have better tools mentally, better processes and habits around training and my daily routine.”
On a race day, Peter will start his day with positive affirmations to solidify belief in himself and the team. He will also embrace mindfulness by playing close attention to feeling any sensations in his body. By naming the part of the body and by steady breathing and exhaling he hopes to shift the gears into a steady state.
“I’m showing up in my body primarily and acknowledging everything as it is, without words, definition or headspace,” he explains. “This sets my body up to re-run the muscle memory and repetitions of our race plan with gentle fluidity.”
Peter’s daily race routine will also include setting three intentions to give direction and an anchor. Stemming from his value set he has based his intention themes around foundation, focus and fun the LA28 Paralympic Games.
“I back my processes as they bring a calm under pressure, a positive relationship with stress,” he explains. “I feel as though I can thrive in the storm, as it creates a lock into my plan and cues an in-sync state of flow during racing. It’s like I’m seeing every stroke where it’s predicted to be, metre by metre and phase by phase as practised throughout the year.”
Alongside his sporting commitments, Peter is juggling the demands of training with family life, raising two young boys, Kai, six, and Raniera, five. Since Paris 2024, he has also become an occasional familiar face on the streets of his hometown of Hastings.
While appreciative of the recognition he receives from the “humble and down-to-earth” locals of Hawke’s Bay, Peter remains firmly focused on performing at his best as he targets selection for the LA28 Paralympic Games.
He described 2025 as an “experimental year”, during which he and long-time coach Myka Nuku made the decision to increase his body weight with the aim of generating more power in the boat.
The approach delivered encouraging signs. At the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Milan, Peter finished fourth in the Men’s 200m VL3, missing out on a podium finish by just 0.04 seconds.
“It would have been nice to have ended up on the podium, but overall, I was satisfied,” he explains of his 2025 campaign. “All the top paddlers have picked up their game. They are all training smarter and, on any given day, the top six guys are all contending for the podium. It often comes down to how you execute on the day.”
That was perhaps best illustrated at the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup in Brandenburg, Germany, in May. Peter finished fifth in the Men’s 200m VL3 final, with one small error proving costly.
“I felt great in myself, I just made one small technical misjudgement coming off the start,” he says. “That is what happens when you make one step too early, you pay for it down the other end of the course. But sometimes it is humbling to have these experiences.”
After returning from Germany, Peter travelled to the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu after receiving an invitation from the President of the Vanuatu Paralympic Committee.
He helped promote disability sport in the country by leading a race day in the va’a boats, visiting a school and speaking at a fundraising gala for the local va’a club. The experience proved inspirational.
“I was welcomed with open arms,” he explains. “There are different cultural norms around disability which was eye-opening. I was blown away by the whole experience. It was good to be able to have a conversation about disability with the people of Vanuatu.”
Peter is now relishing the prospect of lining up as part of a three-man New Zealand team at the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships alongside Paralympian #198 Scott Martlew PLY and rising star Finn Murphy, who claimed silver in the Men’s 200m KL3 at the World Cup in Brandenburg in May.
“It is great to be part of a team in which we have three different regions of New Zealand represented,” explains Peter. “We have Finn from Auckland, I represent central [New Zealand] and we have Scott from the south.
“It has been great to see Finn come through,” said Peter. “He’s a great guy on and off the water. I have no doubt he will go on and perform really well.”
For all three paddlers, the immediate aim is success at the 2026 World Championships, which will play an important role in their pursuit of selection for LA28.
So, what does Peter hope to achieve in Poland?
“With a points system in place for qualification for LA28, the attention turns towards getting the very best result possible to gain the most points,” explains Peter. “There are 1500 points up for grabs for a World Championships rather than 1000 points for a World Cup.
“In some ways, this has turned the emphasis away from the colour of the medal to the points. But I just want to do as well as I can to earn the most points.”
***The event will be live streamed via the Planet Canoe YouTube channel, the official YouTube channel of the International Canoe Federation (ICF).
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To check out more information on the 2026 World Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe Championships go here.
