Dragon boating is a bit like a a cult. A good one, but nonetheless it is cult-like. And because of that, there are some truths that just aren’t spoken about enough. When I was brand-new to the sport, I wish someone had told me all of this. Not that it all would have sunk in at the time, but at least I would have been forewarned about this crazy, wonderful, painful, exhilarating, addictive sport of ours. 1. Your butt will never be the same. Ever. Face it, from your first
I thought about making a video of this for you, but I can’t carry a tune even if it were placed in a bucket with a superbly sturdy handle. So I decided to spare you all the horrors of my voice and simply post my paddler version of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Happy Holidays to everyone. I wish you peace, health and happiness. This is inspired by and warmly dedicated to my coach, Chris Edwards. You know how the song goes, so I’ve skipped to the last part…sing along
It’s that time of year again (doesn’t it seem like this year went by WAY too fast?!?!). So right about now your friends and family are asking you what you’d like as a gift for the holiday season. Instead of getting some awful sweater from your Great Aunt Mildred or a bunch of other useless items, why not get something that every paddler would love? Pass this holiday shopping guide on to your gift-giving people and hopefully you will be the recipient of some gifts that every paddler can appreciate.
Winter training just started for my team and, I have to admit, I felt like I had lost my “mojo”. While I love my team and I love paddling, somehow having a break during the month of October didn’t seem like enough this year. Sure, I went to the gym and rowed on the erg during our time off, but I seemed to be missing some of that sparkly enthusiasm I’d had in years past. Knowing that I had lost a bit of my passion, I decided to find some
Let’s talk about confidence. I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately and so I decided to look into the relationship between confidence and performance. Why? Because I am frequently doubting my own abilities and I am always intrigued by other paddlers I see who seem to be incredibly confident. I really began to wonder not only how this affected my abilities, but also how I could get some of that self-assuredness. I truly hesitated publishing this post. In fact, I’ve been stewing on it for over a month. Examining
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about what makes a good team leader. This thinking led to a lot of research and quite a bit of reflection. I thought about good leaders I’ve known on teams that I’ve been on and I thought about what a good leader looks like. A few commonalities began to emerge. Leadership roles within the team seem to naturally develop. Some people gravitate towards doing the organizational tasks of the team, while others tend towards more of the planning aspect. Some drift towards
Our sport is based on teamwork. No one can do it alone. And that is why I’m asking for your help. If you’ve ever read one of my posts and enjoyed what you read, or even shared it with your team, please consider showing your appreciation by donating $1 to my Make A Champ campaign. Your support and teamwork can help me get to Hungary to compete at the Club Crew World Championships. Honestly, no donation is too small. I realize that the idea of donating one single dollar can
Summer is here (for those of us in the northern hemisphere), and that means it’s time to stock up on the very latest in dragon boat summer essentials. Here is a short list of my favorite items, as well as some great suggestions for traveling, as many of us are heading out soon to race internationally. Paddle Jewelry I was recently approached by Strokeside Designs who shared their beautiful jewelry with me. From the moment I received my heart necklace and earrings, I was in love. The company began with a
When I first started paddling, I’ll admit it, like most people, I truly had no idea what I was doing. I mean, I really, really had no idea whatsoever. I enjoyed my time on the water, and when my team’s practice was finished, I would get off the boat, socialize with my teammates, maybe go grab a bite to eat with some of them, and then head home for a shower. Other than showing up to practice, I didn’t even consider my own role in my development as a paddler.
With all the Olympic events a few weeks ago, it got me thinking about success and how it is defined. Sure, we talk about gold, silver and bronze medals and the athletes who win them, but is a medal the ultimate symbol of success? Does a gold medal mean that you had more success than the silver medalist? Does simply being on the podium suggest that you are more of a champion? Success in Racing Consider the various regattas your team has entered. At some, there is little to no
