RACING, COACHING, AND FAMILY: A CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR FOR BECKY NEEDHAM
When
Becky Needham and her family moved to Hawai‘i ten years ago, they were simply looking for community. She found it, and much more, when she joined Outrigger Canoe Club and picked up a paddle for the first time. Just four seasons later, she was named 2025 Paddler of the Year. This past summer, Needham not only paddled in the open division, but also gave back to the Club by volunteering as a coach for the Novice B paddlers alongside member Liz Perry. “That’s six days a week and races on Sunday,” Perry says, putting Needham’s commitment into perspective. “She also took on a leadership role with the open women, making sure all the logistics were handled—all while serving on the Canoe Racing Committee.” With this kind of dedication, it’s clear that Needham’s love for the Club and the sport isn’t just about personal achieve- ment—she genuinely enjoys helping others discover the fun and excitement of paddling. And yet, she didn’t always have everything figured out herself. “I didn’t know anything about paddling,” Needham admits. But with an athletic background and experience in swimming and surfing, her ability to push on the water came easily. She quickly took to paddling and discovered a passion for one-man rac- ing. She loved it so much that she bought a one-man canoe for her husband, John. Paddling away from crowded beaches and being out on the ocean together became a favorite pastime. “It’s so dynamic, and you have to adapt to nature,” she says, explaining her love of OC1. “Every boat is different, every paddle is different. Every single day is different,
and you have to figure it out.” It wasn’t long before Needham won her first race at the Kanaka Ikaika short course in Kailua, but her beginner’s luck didn’t last long. “I signed up for the long course because I thought, ‘I got this, I can do this,’” she recalls, “and I came in dead last. From first to last in my very first two races.” Despite early ups and downs, Needham leaned into the challenge. She and her husband soon found their stride during their Novice B seasons, with both teams capturing state championships that year at Ke‘ehi Lagoon—a moment Need- ham remembers feeling like one of the biggest of her life. “Close to a wedding,” she laughs. Needham’s athleticism, coupled with her background in teaching, made taking on a coaching role a natural next step. “Me and Liz had such a great working relationship that it was a no-brainer,” she says. Together, the duo was lovingly dubbed the “Queen B’s” by their Novice B paddlers, and the night before this year’s HCRA State Championship in Lāhainā, Maui, they both were seen sporting tiaras. Needham considers coaching the Novice B teams something truly special, as it brings together a group of adults who are approaching the sport for the first time with full vulnerability—and no egos. “The trajectory is straight up every time,” she says. “They start holding their paddle backwards, not sure what they’re doing at all, and then they go on to win a state championship! Of course I’m going to give up every night of my summer to do this.” Her energy and enthusiasm left a clear impression on the pad- dlers. “What stands out most about Becky is her passion for paddling and the way she shares it with the team,” says Nadia Miranda, a
Becky Needham and her daughter Emily at the Kailua regatta, where paddling has become a family affair.
14 AMA | novemBer/december 2025
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