But seriously, why do we do this thing called dragon boat?
We are surrounded by beauty. The lake, our practice site, is ever-changing, the light-ever different. We never tire of it (sometimes it even distracts us).
Training is never boring. Sometimes it’s really, really hard. It leaves us wheezing, sweating buckets, ready to puke. Sometimes it’s fast. Sometimes it’s slow. And in between there’s plenty of swimming, laughter, and general foolishness.
We have purpose. Going to the gym every day is so much easier if you have a higher goal. If you know that there are 19 other people counting on you to do your part. If you want to be sure you’ll be pulling your own weight.
Coming first across the finish line is awesome. Yes, winning is a big deal. It validates our training, our focus, our commitment. Not winning is also a big deal. It keeps us hungry, curious, motivated to be better individually for the benefit of the whole. How we deal with losing is critical. Learn, adapt, improve. Always.
We can travel to some pretty spectacular places. World championships are held in almost every nation, on every continent. We’ve been to Hong Kong, Italy, Hungary, Canada., Puerto Rico….
It’s a huge sport, and a tiny community. Dragon boaters are family. Whenever you land in a new place, and there’s a local dragon boat team… you’ll be welcomed. Not only will you get to see this new place from a really special perspective, but you’ll probably make friends for life.
Speaking of friends, dragon boat is a great way to meet people. To unplug and connect with other humans.
It’s a phenomenal stress reliever. When you’re trying to keep pace with 19 other people, and propel the boat forward as smoothly as possible, there’s really no room in your brain for anything else. Work/life stresses disappear, happy hormones flood your brain. The physical effort also gives you perspective. Life is too short to be miserable. Dragon boat helps.
Find your why on one of our crews. We’d love to have you on board!