Sprint Kayaker Kailey Harlen is embracing the spirit of this year’s International Women’s Day theme, ‘Give to Gain,’ with resilience and determination shaping her journey back to top form.

After the disappointment of missing out on selection for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games team, Harlen responded strongly and opened her 2026 season in impressive fashion, collecting five medals at the Paddle Australia Canoe Sprint Grand Prix II in Penrith, continuing the momentum that powered last year’s breakthrough on the international stage. 

The 24-year-old, who is based at the Sprint National Centre of Excellence (NCE) on the Gold Coast, secured gold in the K2 500 and K4 5000, silver in the K1 500 and K1 1000, and bronze in the K1 200 – showcasing her versatility across both individual and crew boat classes.

NSWIS Canoe Sprint Head Coach Jake Michael said the performances marked another step forward in Harlen’s development.

“She’s showing why she’s one of the leading athletes in Australia in our sport. From a domestic point of view, Kailey has shown real maturity and confidence in her racing,” he said.

The results build on a breakthrough 2025 season, when Harlen stepped onto the senior international podium for the first time. Racing alongside teammate and fellow NSWIS scholarship holder Natalia Drobot, the pair were crowned World Cup champions before securing a silver medal in the K2 500 at the World Championships in Milan.

Michael said Harlen’s recent success followed a period of adversity after missing selection for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“It was obviously a very hard time for her where she had a bit of a struggle in terms of what she wanted to do and if she wanted to continue in the sport,” he said. “But she turned that around by winning gold in the K2 with Nat [and bronze in the K1 500] in that same year.”

“To turn that around in a positive way shows what sort of person Kailey is and the resilience and determination she has.”

Harlen and Drobot have formed a strong partnership in the K2, continuing to build speed and rhythm. Their recent gold medal performance in Penrith positions the duo strongly for the Paddle Australia Canoe Sprint National Championships next weekend in Perth.

“Over the last couple of years, they’ve worked strongly together and bringing that into the domestic season this year sets a real standard,” Michael said. “It’s super exciting for us to be able to see not only their development individually, but also their development as a team.”

Training within the NSWIS sprint squad across Narrabeen and Penrith has also played a key role in Harlen’s development. Under the guidance of Michael,Olympic assistant Ross Chafer, and Gen32 coach Jemma Smith, the group has developed a reputation for its disciplined and supportive high performance training environment.

As International Women’s Day highlights the theme ‘Give to Gain’, Michael said the culture within the squad reflects the importance of collaboration and shared progress, with NCE senior athletes, including Harlen, regularly giving back to the broader group when they return to the NSWIS environment.

“Despite being at the very top level internationally, they’re always very incredibly generous with their time and come back to spend time with the group. They naturally become role models for younger athletes.”

Born in Sydney, Harlen first took up sprint kayaking in 2017 with the Sydney Northern Beaches Kayak Club, after growing up in a multi-sport background that included soccer, touch football, swimming and athletics.

Her rapid rise was evident within a year, sweeping every Under-18 female event at the NSW State Championships, replicating the achievement at Australian National championships. The performances earned Harlen selection for the Australian team for the 2018 Junior and Under-23 World Championships where she finished sixth in the final.

With Nationals approaching, Harlen is well positioned to build further momentum as she prepares for another demanding international campaign, with the first World Cup of the season taking place in Szeged, Hungary from 8-10 May.

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