Nikki Kelly seals place among whitewater elite

For years Rotorua whitewater legend Nikki Kelly has defied the odds, taking on challenges others would never dream of and dominating the sports of kayaking and rafting. Last month her efforts were recognised at the highest level when she was inducted into the International Whitewater Hall of Fame. The 42-year-old, who moved to Rotorua 12 years ago, has been an integral member of the New Zealand women’s rafting team, who have won multiple world titles and never missed the podium, since 1999. In 2004 she became the first woman to tackle the descent of the Grand Canyon of the Stikine River in British Columbia and was the only female member of a Seven Rivers Expedition in the United States. She has also competed in freestyle, canoe slalom, canoe polo, kayak surfing, surf ski, stand-up paddleboarding and outriggers at a national or world level.