On the Up: How ‘unexpected’ paracanoe silver helped validate Finn Murphy’s decision to amputate leg
Up-and-coming New Zealand paracanoeist Finn Murphy believes his “unexpected” maiden World Cup silver medal proves he is on the path to success and validates his life-changing decision four years ago to have his lower right leg amputated.
Just 12 months after making his international debut, Murphy took on the world’s best at the Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup in Germany, finishing second in a dead heat in the men’s KL3 200m final.
His time of 44.91s saw him share silver with Brazil’s Miqueias Elias Rodrigues, while two-time Paralympic champion Serhii Yemelianov claimed gold in 44.14s.
The result marked a significant step towards Murphy’s aspirations of making the Los Angeles Paralympic Games in 2028, earning valuable qualification points while underlining his rapid growth since first competing on the international stage. Murphy won the B final at his World Cup debut before backing it up with a ninth-place finish in the A final at the 2025 World Championships in Milan.
“I didn’t expect to be there at this stage of my journey,” he told the Herald. “I thought I was probably anticipating fifth or sixth and hopeful of making an A final.
“To get the silver feels really validating that I’m on the right track and things are heading in the right direction.”
He now has his eyes on going one better at August’s World Championships in Poland.
He believes a change in mindset was vital to his improved performances on the water, while his coaching team made technical execution under pressure a major focal point.
“I got a bit flustered in racing last year,” Murphy said.
“One of the big learnings for me was to take the pressure off myself and just try to execute the races as a training session or a time trial.
“It allowed me to execute what I trained and not get wrapped up in the pressure of the moment.”
His decision to pursue paracanoeing came almost a year after a motorbike accident that ultimately resulted in the amputation of his right leg below the knee.
The life-changing accident happened on October 16, 2021, when Murphy hopped on his motorbike to get a Covid-19 vaccination booster.
Having just left his parents’ house in Tuakau, north Waikato, he crashed while trying to avoid a van entering a petrol station. He flew off his bike before skidding across the ground and slamming into the vehicle.
Murphy, who was travelling an estimated 70km/h, sustained several critical injuries, shattering his leg and fracturing his ribs, sternum, clavicle and spine. He also suffered a brain bleed and a pulmonary embolism.
In total, he needed 31 hours of surgery and spent nearly three weeks in hospital.
He admits being “naive” during the recovery process and not fully understanding the severity of his injuries.
It took him six months to walk again, and it quickly became apparent that life would never return to normal.
Almost a year to the day after the accident, he had his leg amputated and still describes it as one of the easiest decisions he has made.
“That naivety was a nice soft landing into realising that I’d be better off without the leg, and I didn’t have to face it head on, like a lot of people do.
“It worked out to be a bit of a blessing for me because it put me on the path that I’m on now. I get to travel the world and race in boats, and compared to some people’s lives, that’s not that serious and it’s quite fun.
“Amputation seems pretty extreme. If you’re after a lifestyle change, maybe consider other things first, but for me it was absolutely the right call to make, and it’s worked out brilliantly for me.
“I’m back to doing 95% of the things I used to do, and I’m doing a lot more than I was as well, so it’s definitely been an enriching component of my life rather than something that detracts from it.”
Being in a kayak was new for Murphy, although he had previous experience as a rower. He and his brother won gold in the men’s club double sculls final at the national rowing championships in 2016.
Murphy also credited the Para Sport Collective, supported by ACC, for helping him to navigate life as a para-athlete.
“It has been a hugely helpful resource in terms of learning about the complexities of para sport and the sport that’s available.
“There’s a bunch of athletes from different para backgrounds. A lot of them have been dealing with injuries or impairments for much longer than I have, so they know the ins and outs of navigating the para space a lot better than someone like me, who acquired their injury later in life.
“It’s been a massive help in terms of establishing myself in the space and understanding the complexities of living with an impairment.”
While LA28 remains the long-term goal, Murphy’s immediate focus is August’s World Championships in Poznan, Poland. He remains committed to the cause, making the 65km trek from Tuakau to Lake Pupuke twice a day for training.
Along with the shift in mindset, he is focused on improving his starts, while his muscular upper body build has become a strength during the back end of races.
He is also nearing completion of a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Auckland, which he began after his injury.
Paracanoe events are typically raced over 200m, with Murphy competing in the KL3 classification, designed for athletes with the lowest level of impairment.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald, mostly covering breaking sports news.