Alyce Wood (Burnett)

Whether it’s a hair tie or nail polish, Alyce Wood (née Burnett) wore a hint of pink to every race.

Growing up on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, a seven year old Alyce aspired to be an Ironwoman. She turned to kayaking at the age of 15 to improve her surf ski paddling and fell in love with the sport.

A member of the Maroochydore SLSC, Alyce was inspired by the club’s "strong pedigree of ski paddlers and kayakers."

A multiple Australian surf lifesaving medallist, Alyce continued to compete on the sand and in the surf but the flat water is where the former world champion paddler made her mark.

Her first international success came in 2015 when she and paddle partner Aly Bull combined to win the K2 500 metres at the Under 23 World Championships.

Alyce made her first Olympic Team in 2016 alongside Aly. The young pair won both K2 selection events, defeating their Olympian idol Naomi Flood and her partner Jo Brigden-Jones in an upset to secure their spot.

At the Rio Olympics the duo made the A-Finals of the K2 500m by finishing third in their semi-final. In the final, they came eighth and finished in a time of 1:51.915.

Alyce won her maiden World Championship title in 2017 in the K1 1000. Between 2018-19 she nabbed a host of World Cup medals, including K1 5000 gold at the 2019 Duisburg World Cup, K1 5000 bronze at the 2018 Duisburg World Cup and K4 500 silver at 2018 Szeged World Cup.

At the 2019 World Championships Alyce was part of the K4 500 team that finished seventh and qualified for a spot at the Tokyo Olympics.

Alyce and Aly were the favourites leading into Australia’s Tokyo 2020 selection trials. The pair dominated both nomination events winning the K2 500 Australian and Oceania Championships. Proving her strength in the individual event, Alyce also claimed K1 500 gold at both events.

She married fellow kayaker and Olympian Jordan Wood which made paddling more of a family affair, as her coach was her mother-in-law and Olympic medallist Anna Wood.

Alyce made her second Olympic appearance at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics in both the K1 500m and K2 500m disciplines.

Individually Alyce enjoyed a strong start to the K1 500m, finishing in second place in her group with an opening time of 1:48.572. This set up her semi-final appearance, in which she continued her run of form with a time of 1:53.079 to qualify for the A Final.

Her time in the A final, 1:57.251, fell short of an Olympic medal and placed her eighth overall.

She also competed alongside long-time teammate Aly Bull in the K2 500m. They finished fifth overall with a time of 1:37.412.

But her proudest achievement is becoming a mum to Florence in June 2022. Alyce took a year out of competition when she had the baby, but with an eye to competing at the Paris Olympics, she remained extremely active during her pregnancy.

She tapped into the Australian Institute of Sport’s Female Performance and Health Initiative and worked with Central Queensland University’s Melanie Hayman, who led the development of the 2020 Australian Exercise During Pregnancy Guidelines.

Eight months after Florence came into the world, Alyce returned to competition, although she hates it when people suggest she “bounced back."

"What people don't see is all of the work that goes on in the background," she said.

"The idea of bouncing back tells me that without all the sessions I've done, or all these things that I've given up, it's just happened. I've clicked my fingers, and boom, I'm back.

"The other side of it, which I'm really comfortable with, is that my body will never be the same. And I personally will never be the same.

"The perspective I've gained as a mum is huge.”

Her return to paddling has been successful and in 2023 she secured Australia a quota spot at Paris in the K1 500m by finishing fifth at the World Championships.

“The really special thing is there was three of us with kids in that race, and we got third, fourth and fifth,” Alyce said.

“Obviously most people’s ultimate goal is to qualify for an Olympics and to stand on top of the dais, which is something I also aspire to. But whether this happens or not I just want to finish my kayaking career with no regrets, knowing I gave it 110%.”

Alyce went into the Paris 2024 Olympics knowing it would be her last international competition before retirement. With her family watching on in Paris, she finished eighth in the K1 500m B Final to end her 10-year international career.

“It’s bittersweet,” Alyce said who finished with a time of 1:55.04.

“I wanted to be in that A Final obviously. It’s the strongest field we’ve ever had in the women’s race. I’m just stoked to be part of it and to finish my career here with the team around me."

Alyce has completed a bachelor of communications and a master of business administration through Griffith University and now runs a digital marketing business specialising in implementing marketing strategies for small business.

She is also a member of the Australian Institute of Sport Athlete Advisory Group, deputy chair of the Australian Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission and a director of Paddle Queensland.