member of the Women Novice B team. “Her commitment inspires everyone else to work harder and to love the sport as much as she does.” Needham’s first year coaching mirrored her own Novice B experience: just as she had captured a state championship in her first year of paddling at OCC, the Novice B teams she guided this past season went on to win gold medals at Hanaka‘o‘o Beach. “It’s kind of serendipitous,” she says with a smile. She remembers watching the Women Novice B crew cross the finish line back in August: “They were in lane one, and they just went for it—like as hard as they could. I think they could hear us screaming at them. It was really special.” For Needham, coaching these new paddlers was about more than just rac- ing—it was about building community. Even though not every paddler could race at states, the entire crew showed up to support their teammates. “They flew to Maui, brought their families, brought their children,” Needham says. “They made a weekend of it—celebrated their friends— because they were all part of the process.” That sense of inclusion and teamwork didn’t go unnoticed by the paddlers themselves. “Becky made each one of us feel like we belonged in the canoe and emphasized that it was truly a team sport that could only succeed when everyone in the boat did their job well,” says OCC member Abigail Mawae. “She consistently reminded us that we were capable of achieving excellence if we worked for it.” This past summer was also a personal building year for Needham. While coach- ing the Novice B teams, she began learning to steer, a skill she hadn’t focused on in pre-
vious seasons. “I’m just zigzagging around,” she laughs, recalling how she trained on the job while coaching. “I was in the back just figuring it out. They didn’t know because… well, they didn’t know anything yet!” When the program transitioned into distance paddling, she even volunteered to steer a third boat, giving novice pad- dlers the chance to experience the thrill of longer races with a steady, experienced hand at the helm. While steering during the Dad Center Memorial Canoe Race in August, Needham says the crew experi- enced wild conditions. The leap from short sprint races to the 18.3-mile long-distance course was no small challenge. “The last race they did was two minutes and then they went for four hours—so a steep climb, but they did so good!” she says, thinking back on the race and the times the ocean got the better of them. “We huli’d (flipped)…but they just jumped back in!” Needham’s enthusiasm and positive energy were contagious, coming through in every aspect of her coaching. “When they competed, she danced and cheered loudly down the beach,” Perry recalls. “Becky was very hands-on. She would get in the canoe
Coaches Liz Perry and Needham decked out in lei after a winning day at States.
Family time on the water: John, Becky, and Emily Needham paddle together wherever they go.
november/december 2025 | AMA 15
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