PROFILE
Shaun Kirkham began rowing at Hamilton Boys’ High School under Waikato Rowing Club in 2006. He enjoyed a stellar school rowing career, twice winning the prestigious Maadi Cup and the Springbok Shield. Shaun followed the Rowing NZ pathway through the Rowing Performance Centre system with Waikato. He had mixed results as a New Zealand junior and U23 before winning back-to-back gold medals with the U23 men’s eight in 2013 and 2014.
After a breakthrough year in the elite ranks in 2015, the men’s eight placed a close 4th at the World Rowing Championships and, in doing so, qualified the boat for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The crew placed 6th at the Olympics after picking up a few World Rowing Cup medals in 2015 and 2016. Shaun has held a firm grip in the powerhouse of the boat and is one of the best men in New Zealand on the erg over 2km.
Shaun has spent every year since the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the men’s eight, picking up a silver medal at the 2017 World Rowing Cup II and a bronze at the 2019 World Rowing Cup III. In 2019 Shaun and the men’s eight won the Grand Challenge Cup for the men’s eight event at Henley Royal Regatta. Shaun was a senior member of the crew that narrowly missed Olympic qualification at the 2019 World Rowing Championships.
Then after only securing a boat for Tokyo via the last-chance qualification regatta in Lucerne in May, the men’s eight (with Shaun at 7 seat) went on to reclaim the title after a near 50-year wait in an exhilarating final by winning gold.
Off the water Shaun is working towards a Bachelor of Communications at the University of Waikato, majoring in communication and international management. He has been a Prime Minister’s Scholarship recipient and a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholar at the University of Waikato.
SPEAKING TOPICS
The Lessons In The Struggle.
My journey to winning Olympic Gold has been a long and challenging one, but it has taught me invaluable lessons that I am eager to share. I have had the opportunity to be a part of teams that have both succeeded and failed, and through these experiences, I have learned the key factors that contribute to a team’s performance.
The toxic teams I have been a part of had a slow deterioration in cohesion and communication, while the healthy teams I have been a part of had a natural chemistry and a shared purpose that propelled them to exceed expectations. The lessons I have learned, the habits I have picked up, and the destructive and constructive behaviors I have observed have been eye-opening.
These lessons have wide-ranging applications beyond the sporting arena and can be applied to any team setting. I’d love the opportunity to share my story with you and your team.
