In her freshman year at Roosevelt High School in Seattle, WA, Nevin was one of the top sprinters in the city of Seattle. That was, until she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at 14 years old, putting an untimely end to her track career. Though unable to continue sprinting on the track, Nevin recalled a different form of sprinting she was introduced to in 2014 – sprint canoe. When she first attempted sprint canoeing at summer camp at the age of 12, she jumped in the boat and everything clicked. After surprisingly making it a long distance without falling in, back on shore her camp counselor jokingly said to her “You’re going to be a world champion!”

Faced with the internal decision of pursuing softball, soccer, or sprint canoe, Nevin shifted her focus to the water. In the beginning stages of practice, she discovered her desire to take on sprint canoeing at the competitive level, and she never looked back. A mere 2 years after her first time attempting the sport, Nevin shocked the sprint canoe world after taking home the win at the 2016 Women’s Bantam National Championship. She walked away with her first national championship and fastest time of any women’s division (56.95 seconds), at 14 years old. With a fire lit underneath her and a desire to race on larger platforms, Nevin saw her childhood dream coming closer and closer to reality, and she was laser focused on one thing: Team USA.

Nevin continued climbing the ranks of sprint canoeing, winning the 2017 National Title which qualified her for Team USA and sent her with the junior team to the Olympic Hopes Regatta where she represented the states for the first time. Nevin’s opponents were left chilled from the ice in her veins as she pulled out the win in the 200m race and clearly, there was no stopping her now. With her win at the USA Trials in 2019, Nevin officially qualified for the senior national team and was on her way to her first Olympic qualifier. Her performance at the biggest race of her career (at 17 years old) dropped jaws…again.

As a Junior in high school, the nerves rush through one’s body as they present in front of the class, but Nevin doesn’t seem to think twice as she fills her trophy room with national titles and world championships. But how? Nevin instructs the key is to stay calm – “with such a short distance like a 200m, any tiny mistake can cost you the race” she says. One activity that helps her stay grounded is baking – whether it is a birthday, special event, or just a rest weekend, Nevin always finds the time to bake her team some tasty treats. Though her free time is limited, she loves to be outdoors and explore, especially when back home in the PNW. Hiking mountains, paddle boarding, surfski kayaking, biking, and surfing are the activities that occupy the World Champion’s precious free time and help her stay composed.

Nevin, continuing on her path of excellence, returned to Szeged, Hungary in 2020 and took home yet another win in the 200m race at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup. On March 19, 2021, Nevin Harrison officially qualified to represent the United States in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Just five months after qualifying, on August 4, 2021, Nevin Harrison had her first race on the world’s biggest stage – The Olympics. She competed in Heat 2 where she secured 1st place, posted an Olympic Best Time of 44.938 seconds, and punched her ticket straight to the semi-finals. The next day, August 5, 2021, was surely an important day for the 19-year-old as she would be competing for a spot in the final. The semi-final went by fast – 46.697 seconds to be exact – where Harrison secured another 1st place and had landed herself a spot in the final. With the Gold Medal only being one race away, Nevin had to lock in and get the ice pumping through her veins. Three short hours later, it was time. Nevin paddled up to the starting gate and stared at the most important 200 meters of her young career. Seconds later, the horn went off and it was time to leave it all in the water. Nevin crossed the finish line 45.932 seconds later edging past her idol, Canadian Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, and rightfully claiming her title as an Olympic Gold Medalist. Beyond the Gold, Nevin was the first U.S. athlete in 33 years to win Gold in the canoe sprint event AND she was the first female athlete to ever win Gold in the event.

Cham·pi·on / ‘CHampēən / noun – 1. Nevin Harrison