Becca Aiken is a skier, runner, cyclist, mountain biker, surfer, and waterskier, all while managing a day job as a designer and illustrator, an obsession with fine wine (her friends enjoy calling her an oenophile), a nonstop social life, and a couple of side ventures (not to lead you away from us, but check out her sock company Pretty Fly). Becca moves in a blur, but to her, it's baseline.

She was once a competitive runner who took a sharp left turn into underwater hockey, eventually representing New Zealand at the World Championships (author's note: after further research, we can conclude that this sport is both real and wild). She rates herself as "normal" amongst her peers in Wanaka, New Zealand, where most Mondays start with first chair at Treble Cone for a couple of pre-work laps and ends lining up at the track for intervals that same evening.

When asked what she'd get if she ever got a tattoo, Becca doesn't hesitate: "why not?" Not a question, but a philosophy, two simple words that sum up how she moves through the world.

For this, and because she's an absolute weapon on the trails and ski hill, Becca represents to us the true natural performer. Someone who doesn’t organize their life around being an athlete, but around letting serious movement, deep creativity, intentional work, and earned pleasure sit side by side. A quiet, capable, why-not approach that doesn’t need explaining. It’s the same grounded, no-fuss mentality that continues to inspire Courier: the belief that you can do it all, so long as you always give the "all" a proper go. 

More on Becca, below.

Who are you, and what’s your story? What led you to Wanaka, and how do work, sport, and life fit together for you?

Wanaka felt almost too good to be true as a place to live. I was lucky growing up with a family who supported skiing and time in the mountains and from a young age Wanaka had a special pull for me. The people, the sense of community and the lifestyle really stuck.

I’ve dabbled across both corporate and smaller family-run businesses, but I naturally gravitated back to environments that value connection, balance and the outdoors. I work in the wine industry, where sustainability and a strong relationship with the land really matter to me. Equally important is having balance, the ability to explore mountains, rivers and oceans alongside work.

The biggest shift for me has been realising what truly matters: my family, my friends and my local community. With that comes looking after your wellbeing and managing stress and living in Wanaka has genuinely changed how I approach life - slowing down, staying grounded and focusing on what’s important.

For someone who’s never been to Wanaka, how has living there shaped the way you move through the world and approach sport?

Living in Wanaka you’re constantly surrounded by people who are trying to better themselves and that energy is pretty contagious. There’s a slightly competitive but friendly edge (more encouragement than ego) which naturally pushes you to show up and keep progressing.

What I really love is how much the community has built around movement. There are groups across pretty much every sport: social runs, group rides, ski days, local events. They’re safe spaces to meet like-minded people, keep growing and feel connected, whether you’re there to train hard or just be part of it.

In Wanaka, are you normal or an outlier? 

I’d say I’m very much normal in Wanaka. There’s a running joke that people get “morphed” into a Wanaka person, but honestly, it’s always been there for me, I just live somewhere now where I can access it all the time.

Like anything you’re passionate about, you tend to find your people through shared interests. What I’ve found living in Wanaka is that most of us are here for similar reasons and with sport comes a certain level of drive and motivation - the two go pretty hand in hand. From there, communities naturally form. People collaborate, push each other and there’s a pretty special mix of creativity and highly driven humans all feeding off that energy.

And yes, it’s plastered all over Strava… because if you didn’t Strava it, it obviously didn’t happen.

Kiwis have a reputation for just getting on with it - practical, no fuss, and little to no “faffing”. How does that show up in how you approach life?

The ol’ she’ll be right attitude. I believe it gives you the confidence to just give things a go. If you’re out of your depth, there’s usually someone nearby happy to help or quietly teach you a new skill.

That sense of community has made it much easier to step outside my comfort zone, knowing there are very capable people willing to give their time and support. Gear also matters. Being comfortable and properly kitted out makes a difference. If things fit, work and don’t annoy you, everything tends to align naturally a bit better.

You ski, waterski, gravel ride, mountain bike, run trails, and played various sports growing up. Was there ever pressure to pick one thing? How do you decide what to do on any given day?

Yes, my parents absolutely suggested I pick one thing! I was out morning and night, every day and as soon as I was legally allowed to drive they very happily retired from the sunrise-sunset taxi service and sent me on my way.

I ran competitively at school, then took a left turn into underwater hockey, which somehow ended in representing New Zealand at the World Championships held in Sheffield UK with training sessions held in Andorra, Spain and Melbourne, AUS.

These days I dabble across a lot of sports and enter the odd event, but it’s firmly for my own goals and enjoyment rather than elite-level suffering. I like routine, so certain mornings or nights are locked in for specific sports, especially group sessions. The rest is weather-dependent: I’ll run in the rain, refuse to bike in it and if it’s a powder day… well, priorities are priorities.

Tell us about a recent day that felt quintessentially yours.

One morning I went out for a long run with a friend and started with a piece of toast with PB and banana. The pace was good and the temperature was perfect.

We were on the Outlet Track when a woman tucked in behind us training for Coast to Coast. We did the standard runner hello, followed by a quick “I’m not stalking you” joke and ended up chatting for the last hour of our run.

There’s an easy, instant connection in moments like that. Same reasons, same energy. We got her name, said we’d follow her race, and carried on. It was a real high- less about the run, more about that shared understanding of why I get out there.

What would feel worse: being mediocre at everything, or being excellent at one thing but missing out on the rest?

This is a hard one. The old me would’ve said it’s worse being mediocre at everything as I always wanted to be the best in one field. But now, I think missing out on the rest would be harder.

Being able to dabble across multiple sports, even if I’m only ever decent at them, gives me access to a much wider range of people, experiences, and communities. That feels far more satisfying to me than narrowing it down to just one thing.

You move between a desk and physically demanding sport. How do creativity and movement feed each other?

I think they’ve always influenced each other, often without me realising it. Time spent on the trails running, on my bike, or up a mountain gives me space to think and reflect and I’m constantly influenced by what’s around me. That feeds directly into my creativity and how I think a bit differently in my work.

Having a clear head and access to sights, smells, conversations and small interactions has a direct correlation with how I show up creatively. Putting my body under stress also sharpens my mind. I’ve always been drawn to that feeling on the other side, where you’ve pushed yourself hard enough that everything feels balanced again.

Wine, stillness, pleasure. How do those fit into a life with so much movement?

Stillness is absolutely essential. I’ve recently learned the word oenophile, which my friends enjoy calling me in a slightly inappropriate way.

Working in the wine industry has dropped me into another community of people who share a genuine love for the juice that brings people together. Wine sits in that sweet spot between art, science, romance and pleasure, but at its core, it’s about people. It’s something shared around a table, over conversation and that social connection is really the whole point.

Range without rigor is just dabbling. How do you actually improve across everything?

I’ve thrown myself into community groups and planned morning or evening sessions with friends so I tend to surround myself with people who are much better than me across pretty much every sport, but it keeps me honest and pushes me harder.

Take track on a Monday night: running with faster people sharpens my speed, which carries through to my solo runs. Training in a group changes how you show up. You push yourself more, you turn up consistently and there’s usually a beer afterwards.

Follow along with Becca here.