About Nikki Kelly::

• Age: 31
• Where I live: Rotorua North Island New Zealand
• Where I'm from: South Island New Zealand (bye-bye sheep and cows)

Sport interests: Kayaking, rafting, waka arma ( all water based ), gym, mountain bike when not training full time. Yoga if I'm a full time athlete, other wise work wins over yoga.

How I got started in kayaking: At age 16, I won a high school outdoor education scholarship to train as a raft guide with local company, Rangitata Rafts. I worked as a rafting guide until I was 20, then the kayak took over my life. I had the desire to get closer to the water so I jumped in a kayak while raft guiding on the south fork of the American River and it was instant love. A turning point for me was following the raft season in California. I worked in Costa Rica as a photo boater. For three months, I was photographing on continuous grade four rivers. I was thrilled with the energy of the water and the culture. I remember feeling very comfortable and assured--so so alive. Kayaking seemed the end-all-be-all, nothing else mattered.

Notable Achievements:

• World Rafting Champion 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003
• Ford Gorge Games Extreme Kayak Champion 2002, USA
• Worlds Fittest Woman Contest 2003, Hong Kong, 2nd place
• Teva Mountain Games Kayak Champion 2002, 2003, 2004, USA
• Reno Freestyle Festival 2004, 2nd place
• Completed the '7 Rivers Expedition' 2004, USA
• First female descent of the Stikine River, British Colombia
• Countless first river descents

Athletic goals: To be fit for long distance Waka Arma. Average races are 27 – 33 km and can take 3 to 4 hours of non stop paddling. It's grueling, but the most efficient way for me to keep fit and strong.

Inspiration: Really, I am just much happier when outside doing something active, that’s my inspiration, self centered ah... Can't stand being myself when I've been cooped up, my mind tells me the world is caving down on me.

Life/Sport Philosophy: There’s so much, my mind can go round in circles with this question, end of the day life is short, find out what buzzes you out, let the little things go, don’t do it if you don’t want to – say no.

Favorite spot to do my sport: West Coast South Island New Zealand, and California USA

Favorite Girls4Sport wear: Capri pants

What I do when I’m not in the water: Work, drink espresso coffee, (come to New Zealand... lots of yummy cafes.) Play fight with my cat. Spend time with my boyfriend, talk shit.

My job: Massage therapist; also tourism guide in New Zealand.

Education: Currently studying "Sport Studies" through University of Otago, by distance learning

Interesting/unusual facts about me: Not sure if I want to reveal the unusual... I own a house and just spent two and half hours mowing the lawn. I cut my hair short. I have a cat called baby, and she is the apple of my eye.

More in my own words: Looking forward to another season in the USA, love traveling your country, I will be a full time kayak babe for six weeks, that’s heaven. Now that I am back in the work force, I really do appreciate the time I have on the USA competition circuit. I have been lucky enough to have had many years of full time kayaking. I think sponsors have a lot to answer for, they have ruined me for any normal type of working life – can I thank my sugar daddies: Teva footwear, Dagger kayaks, Kokatat, Werner paddles, Smith sunglasses, Shred Ready helmets, Fortress watches, and of course Girls4Sport for making such trendy and functional water wear!

Most memorable trips:

• 7 Rivers Expedition
  "The forefathers of river kayaking are true explorers. I tried capturing a piece of their spirit whilst kayaking in the Sierra mountains of California. Living out of my Huka for 52 days and nights, I packed pad, sleeping bag, food and safety equipment. I hauled that boat all over the hills, to put on and paddle the worlds most pristine and challenging rivers. This was the 7 Rivers Expedition, and we were the first crew to paddle the seven greatest multi day rivers consecutively in one season. This will always be the pinnacle of my career." Check out the 7 Rivers Expedition movie - a Tdub production, distributed by LVM. Read more: http://www.bliss-stick.com/team/stories/CaliforniaDreaming

• Russia's Siberian Lake Baykal Region
  Summer 2005, four outstanding female North Face athletes embarked on 21-day expedition into some of the most remote, and least understood, areas of Russia's Siberian Lake Baykal region. Their goal was to climb mountains that have never been climbed, run rivers that have never been run and document places that have never been explored. In so doing they raised money, and awareness, for the drastically under funded Russian Central Children's Hospital in Moscow. http://www.thenorthface.com/na/expeditions/expeditions-2005-russia.html

More updates:
www.riverangels.com