Paddling power
Lethbridge Coulee Classic Dragons off to Australia for Pan Pacific Masters Games
The Lethbridge Coulee Classic Dragons are ready to paddle in the Land Down Under. The women’s dragon boat team is off to the Pan Pacific Masters Games in the Gold Coast, Australia Nov. 2-4.
As they paddled through another practice earlier this month at the University of Lethbridge pool, the team consisting of women over 50 from all over the province were primed to test themselves against the top dragon boaters on the other side of the globe.
“We’re very excited,” said Jane Franz, one of the paddlers for the Coulee Classic Dragons. “We’ve been training for this for over a year. We’ve had this goal in mind and have picked up some paddlers from out of town. We’re a group of women, 50-plus and we’re just really excited to be at this point and all ready to go.”
They also head to Australia with a little international experience under their belts.
“We went to Auckland with a slightly different combination. We went to World Masters games in Auckland in early 2017,” said Franz.
However, for some members of the Lethbridge Coulee Classic Dragons, the Pan Pacific Masters Games will be a new experience.
“For some, it will be their first off-continent, international (race). Some people have paddled at different events in the States,” said Franz.
When the locals take the start line in Australia, they’ll do so against teams that have year-round access to the sport.
“Which makes a difference. So this is why our paddling in the pool is so valuable,” said Franz. “(It’s) lots of training, everybody is in strength training and paddling. We have the opportunity to paddle (at the university pool) twice a week with these modified paddles and seats. We’re all working on starts and technique.”
Which is the prime component of dragon boat racing.
“It’s very technique-based, that’s for sure,” said Franz. “We work on utilizing technique and core power and leg power. It’s a whole body movement, and then the next thing is timing. It’s all paddlers on both sides of the boat being in synch and in time.
“It’s so much fun to be out with a group of women, your peers who enjoy the same sort of thing and really pumping the effort into a dragon boat. It’s great being on the water.”
They’ll race against teams that can train outdoor yearround, but the Coulee Classic Dragons aren’t counting themselves out of anything once the competition begins.
“We hope to have some really great races and we hope to get into the finals,” said Franz. “They’re very excited about the team and the makeup. We have three coaches and a team manager.”
Team manager Jimmy Pearce is joined by coaches Karen Johnson, Suzanne Harris and Chris Lowings.
Pearce already has the next goals for the Coulee Classic Dragons set out.
It’ll keep them busy for the next few years.
“Their next challenge for 2019 is they’ll be entering the Dragon Boat Canada Nationals in Regina so they can qualify to go to France in 2020,” said Pearce. “The year after that is the next goal, which is the World Masters Games in Japan. They’ve got a full forum for the next four years of training and competitions. We have planned that so far. We have 29 members on the team and five of them are from out of town. Three are from Edmonton and the rest are from Calgary. There are more people wishing to join, but they have to be selected by the coaches. But the three coaches and myself are also Dragonboat Canada coaches.”
Follow @DWoodardHerald on Twitter