Great fun, #paddling & drumming in our first races! We did pretty good, considering we've had only 7 practices. We beat a more experienced team that has trained twice/week for a few years in our last race with time of 1:08 minutes!
I'm exhausted & bit sore. Putting ice packs on & then having a long hot bath 🛀
Early start & very long day tomorrow! I race with our #ParaDragonboating team, Storm the Gorge around 10:30am! I'll be doing drumming/beats calling for 2 races in afternoon.
The one-day event will be held on Sunday, May 26, and organizers say more than 1,000 paddlers are expected to participate in 200-metre #SprintRaces on the #GorgeWaterway.
Heading out to our last #ParaDragonboating team practice of the month! Our first race is next Sunday, May 26th. I'll post more info about that, after this weekend.
Heading down to #FairwayGorgePaddlingClub an hour earlier than usual for this weekend's #ParaDragonboating practice. We'll be joined by 14 members from the Fifth Moon & Snappin' Dragons teams for our pre-racing practice today. We'll be using 2 boats, with experienced race paddlers from those 2 teams alternating seats with our beginners team. I'll be paddling for half & drumming/beats calling for other half. May 26th, aiming to paddle one race & be drummer for other 2 races.
Today, we worked on more race stops, transitions & on improving team #paddling timing/synchronization.
I led a good warm-up before we started & was put into front near end of practice. Our coach is also training me on doing drumming/calling out paddle beats so I can go on multiple boats for races. Our first race is May 26th!
Here's some video from my #ParaDragonboating coach of my 1st day of training as a new drummer/paddle beats leader, today.
You can see, I started out sloppy because I've never done this before & was nervous at beginning. Further along, I got hang of things & was able to call out the #paddling beats better.
Selkirk Trestle, walking & cycling bridge - spans from Banfield Park to Selkirk waterway paths on other side of waterway.
Views from the dragonboat. From today's practice. I'm with new #ParaDragonboating pilot program, run by #FairwayGorgePaddlingClub on Jutland. Our team name: Storm the Gorge.
One of my #ParaDragonboating teammates is a #BrainCancerSurvivor 💗 She is 12 yrs, #CancerFree this year. Every year she is cancer free, she adds a new flower tattoo to her body. This was the tattoo she got when first diagnosed, years ago.
40 minutes before our practice ended - big gust of wind blew my hat off my head & into the waters. We paddled backwards to rescue it. I tossed rescued, soaked hat on dock & we picked up another paddler, while docked.
Part of our #ParaDragonboating - Storm the Gorge #team 🥰 We're all enjoying learning on the waters together. We have a very #diverse & #inclusive group of fine folks on our team. It's sure nice to be around fellow #disabled comrades. It's sure nice to feel fully included. It's great to be around people who understand me & vice versa.
This is Shirley-Ann. Part of our #ParaDragonboating team. She's a spritely senior lady, with amazing attitude & she's my paddling partner. We are usually in front or back of boat because we're 2 of the smallest sized paddlers on the team. Shirley has a few mobility issues & has had knee surgeries. She's become my biggest personal fan since we first met 3 weeks ago ❤️ Shirley is impressed with how well I adapt to move & paddle; despite my multiple illnesses & only one on team with mass paralysis.
Features the coach I'm training with, starting April 6 for #VictoriaBC 1st para-dragonboating pilot program.
In 2019, the International #DragonBoat Federation made the bold move to include new division for future world championships; #Paradragons. Composed of #paddlers with varying abilities ranging from overcoming psychological trauma to navigating physical challenges, this is a landmark achievement for the international #DisabilityCommunity.
Good morning 🌄
Fantastic news to start this fab Friday with 😀
I got into a new para #dragonboating#PilotProgram. It's a 7-week program starting April 6, leading to the Super Sprints Festival May 26, on the Gorge waterway. Training with head coach of the Canadian Para Dragon Boat team.
Do you have any nifty ideas for what we can possibly use as our first para dragon boating team name? We have no team name ATM & need to submit one before our first race at end of May.