Gold, Gold!! For Hilary

What is dragon boat racing?

It is 20 people paddling for all their worth in either a 200m/500m and sometimes 1000m/2000m race. Up front there is a drummer person drumming on a big drum and at the back is the steerer know as the sweep. In all 22 people, either all men, all women, mixed (12 men, 8 women), and divisions of open, masters (over 40) and grand masters (over 50).

How long has it been in Australia?
Since 1984

What is its history?
It began in China in 2000BC

How many people are involved (in a boat)?
In the ceremony boats, in China, there can be from 30 to 40 people.

Is it a popular sport?
Becoming more and more so.
There are about 12 clubs on the gold coast, 6 or more in Brisbane/Sunshine coast, one in Tin Can Bay. Also, there are at least 20 clubs in Sydney and also some in Victoria, Perth and Darwin.

What are the things you enjoy about it?
The physical hard work to achieve, the travelling, the pure joy of winning and the sheer joy of it all!!

And….the challenging things?
Getting 22 paddlers to paddle on a regular basis, the blood and guts required to get there, the hardship of running, jogging, paddling no matter how tired, how cold, how fed up one is, to keep going, the repetitivity of 4 paddles a week, and all of the above.

Tell us about your GOLD medals!?
We started training for Qld team, (separate to club paddling), then, we got together as a Qld team each weekend until April when we went to nationals.

We won Australian titles and then came back and started all over again to train for world titles. In each case we had to be chosen for both the nationals and worlds. We were paddling 4 days a week which was in our off season, so therefore never got a break over the year, bar one month after nationals.
Rain, hail or shine we were expected to be at training, or had to have a damn good excuse if we weren’t!!!

I represented Australia in Grand Masters Women’s 200m and 500m and Mixed 2000m. The mixed was on the first day, and despite us only having paddled as a complete team the day before, we got a bronze medal, which was so very exciting. The team that was picked was a light team, in other words those that were lightest and smallest got in as it was a long race and it was decided a light boat was better in a long race). So it pays to be small and light.

On the 3rd day the Grand Masters Women race in 200m races. We won all three and so got the first gold medal for Australia. It was such a proud moment for us all. I will never forget the feeling.

Listening to the anthem and watching the Australian flag go up first was a tear-jerking time for us all. After we had just won and were running back to tent, the USA guys, sang Waltzing Matilda as we ran by. That was amazing comradeship by the opposition, the other opposition was Canada; they also gave us great praise. Both these teams were winning all the gold medals and most of the other ones too.

On the 4th day we once again won all three races and got our second gold medal for 500m. Trying to keep the team on an even keel after each race on both days was one hell of a difficulty, as each race went by.

Can you imagine the suspense etc felt in the 5th race we had. Yes we got 2 gold medals, the first ever for Australia.

It was held in Penrith, Sydney, where the Olympics were held (for paddlers).

Are these your first medals?
My first World Gold Medals, yes, but have won other gold, silver and bronzes in state and nationals.

Where to next?
The season is in full swing: September through to Easter when nationals are held every year. Next year is World CLUB titles in Penang, Malaysia.

At this stage I am challenging myself to a rest!!!! However being so active, I cannot stay still, so now am paddling my own canoe - as in kyaking on the Currumbin River, 5 mins from Tugun.

It’s so peaceful after dragonboating, and the results are only in your own hands. So give me a few months and who knows what medals I will be pursuing!!!!! In the meantime I paddle with my local team, the Currumbin Dragon boats, when and if they need me on regatta days.

Last week-end I was ‘stroke’ (No. 1 front left - which I have done a couple of years ago). So this was another challenge for me as one has to get it right or the whole boat gets it wrong. We got 2nd in the women’s, and 3rd in the mixed with me up front. Once again it was a thrill for me, an amazing thrill. How can I describe it?

The only way is to try it yourself and feel the adrenalin running, the pressure on oneself and know in your heart you have given it all you could on the day. That’s what counts.

Where could someone who was interested in dragon boat racing find out more?
One can go online at http://www.ausdbf.com.au (this is aus dragonboating), or http://www.qdbf.com.au (for Qld, but similar for other states). Another link is http://www.dragonboatorg.com.

I would like to tell you all: it does not matter, how old you are, you are always welcome and if you have never achieved anything in sports before, dragonboating can do it for you, even if you are over 50 or 60 or 70. Some of our ladies were over 60 and well into 60, and we also had 3 ladies who had breast cancer. They had chosen to paddle with us, and not the breast cancer ladies, and so did not advertise this fact. They were equal to us in stamina etc. It is a hard sport, a rewarding sport if one wants it or just a social sport if that is all one wants.