Sophie MacKenzie

Sophie Mackenzie made her return to the New Zealand elite squad in 2019 following a two-year break in the wake of the Rio Olympics.

Sophie first started rowing for Marlborough Girls’ College and Wairau Rowing Club in 2007. She represented New Zealand in the U21 trans-Tasman team in 2010 and 2011 before making her international debut in 2012 at the World Rowing U23 Championships where she won bronze in the lightweight women’s double sculls. With a different partner the following year, Sophie produced the same result at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Austria. After a stellar performance in 2014 in which she linked up with Zoe McBride and won the U23 world title, Sophie was selected to join Julia Edward in the elite lightweight women’s double sculls. She turned what was already a fantastic year into something even more impressive when she and Julia became elite world champions in Amsterdam. The duo backed this up the following year and qualified the boat for the 2016 Olympic Games. Sophie and Julia placed 4th at the Rio Games.

Off the water Sophie is a qualified personal trainer, social anthropologist, yoga teacher, health coach and soon to be holistic nutritionist.