After leading Aotearoa's success at the Tokyo Olympics, rowing and canoeing have greatly benefited from High Performance Sport New Zealand's newest funding system.
A new, more holistic model unveiled on Friday invests into targeted areas, such as campaigns, performance pathways, wellbeing, and various forms of support.
Athletes get guaranteed baseline funding for a three-year period, with further performance bonuses based on success.
Olympic swimmer Lewis Clareburt knows all too well the struggle to get funding.
"It's difficult," Clareburt tells Newshub.
"Not every athlete will have that parent support of money in hand, living at home for free, and to give you a car so you can get to training."
Clareburt had to scrounge for it to go to global events, like the world championships and Commonwealth Games - where he claimed bronze at both.
But a new, more inclusive model announced today by High Performance Sport New Zealand could change that.
"For the athletes, they get guaranteed baseline funding, for a three-year period," says Sport New Zealand chief executive Raelene Castle.
"So instead of the variation and uncertainty year to year, they know that the minimum level of 25,000 is guaranteed."
The impact on those who previously felt underfunded, like basketball and beach volleyball and new sports like surfing and diving, is already being seen.
"We had one gentleman who was in tears, because he said 'I've been fighting for my sport for a long period of time, and now we've been genuinely recognised.'"
Water polo is among those grateful for any funding - their women's programme's been given $100,000.
"It's just the actual acknowledgement that we're doing something right and they believe in us going forward," New Zealand Water Polo chief executive Jan Shearer tells Newshub.
"I think really the key is that it gives more women access to a high-performance programme and the chance to go to the Olympics."
Athlete wellbeing will also be a focus point for the future. How that gets juggled with athlete success though, is a question for down the track.
