Butcher, 29, is the first Otago athlete to be confirmed in the New Zealand team for the Paris Games, which start on July 26.
He was back in Central Otago over the weekend, celebrating his selection and his birthday with friends and family.
"I just wanted to come down here and ... have a celebration and a bit of a thank-you," Butcher said.
"That’s the thing that matters to me is that community — I wouldn’t be doing it without them."
His parents, Dale Butcher and Wendy Robertson, Central Otago whitewater stalwarts Gordon and Mary Rayner and several friends will head to France to watch the former Dunstan High School pupil in action later this year.
It was special to see how much his selection meant to his family and supporters, Butcher said.
He credits his love of the sport to the positive atmosphere in the Central Otago Whitewater Club where he began racing.
"That family atmosphere in the club — I think that that started off my passion and love for the sport."
Butcher made the reserve team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
He and said missing out four years ago only made him more determined to succeed.
"I think that just lit even more of a fire.
"The last four years have been a lot of hard work."
Throughout it all, Butcher has enjoyed his preparation and maintained a love of his sport.
"It’s a lot of fun as well ... something we learnt [in Central Otago is to] just keep it fun."
"Racing’s not the only thing that’s important. You do your best and you try and enjoy it as much as you can."
Olympic selection is decided from a series of events across several months, and Butcher could feel he was in prime position to being selected.
It was still a relief to get the phone call from New Zealand chef de mission Nigel Avery.
"I still can’t really believe it," Butcher said.
"[To] have that acknowledgement of all the work and everything that’s been going into it ... it felt more real."
He returned to Auckland on Tuesday for a month of training before travelling to Paris, where he will be based for a European season that includes world cup competition in Augsburg, Prague and Krakow before the Olympics.
— additional reporting by Hayden Meikle
