Full Name: Georgina Olivia Spencer-Bower- Nickname: Liv
- DOB: 29/8/86
- Born: Christchurch, New Zealand
- Occupation: Photographer & Graphic Designer at De Nada Creative
- Degree: Bachelor of Design – First Class Hons
- NZ Paddle Fern since 2006
- Canoe Polo Career Highlights: Being the New Zealand Flag Bearer at the 2012 World Championships
- Favourite Things: ALL types of kayaking, travelling, photography, art & design, adventures big & small, animals, my better half Andy
My name is Olivia and I am a New Zealand Paddle Fern, photographer & graphic designer and extremely proud kiwi.
Born and raised in Christchurch, my introduction to kayaking began on our family holidays to Lake Sumner where we would watch the white water kayakers negotiating the technical stretches of Maori Gully on the Hurunui River. We also spent a lot of time at our high country farm Woodstock where we would watch the Coast to Coast kayakers come streaming past each February. My Dad used to always beam in his big voice there’s some “kinganoos”. Apparently my big brother couldn’t say canoe properly!
My kayaking career wasn’t to begin until I arrived at high school though. On arrival at my new school I was bombarded with a tidal wave of sports and I took up a fair majority of them. From rhythmic gymnastics to hockey to touch rugby I gave everything a crack. But there was one sport that caught my eye most of all and that was Canoe Polo. I jumped at the opportunity to play and I’ve never looked back!
I’ve been playing Canoe Polo for 17 years now and in that time have had some of the most incredible life experiences. Because Canoe Polo isn’t an Olympic Sport it is completely athlete funded. While this has been hard over the years and I don’t have a house to call my own or many pennies to rub together I wouldn’t give it up for anything. I’ve been able to push my body to the limits in my training, travel the world competing and meet some amazing and supportive people. It’s a real honour to be right up there with the best in the world and I can’t thank the people who have helped me along this journey enough. I’m super excited for what 2016 has in store!
Here’s a little blurb my team mates wrote about me:
It’s been over a decade since Olivia, aka Liv, first appeared in a silver fern in the NZ U18 team in a Trans Tasman battle in 2004. Since then she has consistently competed every year for the New Zealand Paddle Ferns.
In 2006 she broke into the senior team and travelled with the Paddle Ferns to Amsterdam where they achieved NZ’s best placing to date of silver. Since then, Liv has graduated to be one of the senior players, competing at World Champs in 2008 (Canada), 2010 (Italy), 2012 (Poland), 2014 (France) as well as at the World Games (Taiwan) in 2009 and the Oceania Champs in 2005, 2009, and 2011.
Liv may be the size of a cat but has the heart and fight of a tiger. She is a force to be reckoned with on the inside on offence and holds up her side on defence with brute force and brilliant technique. Her dedication to the Paddle Ferns and all things polo related is admirable and inspires her fellow Ferns. Her fitness, work ethic and attitude has been shown not only on the polo pitch but in the realm of multisport as well winning the 2 Day Individual Coast to Coast in 2015.
Liv currently lives and trains in shaky Christchurch and runs her own photography business De Nada Creative.
Liv aspires to be the best that she can be in all aspects of her game and is looking forward to competing in her sixth World Championships and taking it all the way to the podium!
