I'm going to Italy!  The countdown is on, only 14 more days and we're on our way!  Why am I going you ask?  Well, the wine, history and scenery are certainly on my agenda.  But, that's not the whole reason.  I'm on a team that's headed to the Club Crew World Dragon Boat Championships that are being held in Ravenna, Italy.  There's actually four teams going from the Vancouver Island Paddling Club and, to be able to represent Canada and our Club Crew, each of these teams had to first do well in a National qualifying event.  These crews did that last year, when the Nationals were held here in Victoria, BC, on beautiful Elk Lake.

For those of you unfamiliar with dragon boating, a crew consists of 20 paddlers (either mixed - men and women; all men or all women; as well as age categories); a stern (the person at the back of the boat who uses  a huge oar to steer); and, a drummer (who sits at the front of the boat, drums on the huge drum between their legs and calls commands to the crew - must be loud!)  The paddlers sit and paddle on one side of a huge, long heavy boat, two to a seat (one on one side and one on the other), and they MUST paddle in time, with each other and the rest of the crew, so that the boat (as I call it) "sings across the water".

The Club Crews that are taking us all the way to Italy are part of a newly formed club, the Vancouver Island Paddling Club.  However, they have very expert coaches and a top notch, truly dedicated, group of paddlers with extensive experience paddling at a highly competitive level.  This past February, I was asked to join them and drum for their Senior C (over 60) Women's Crew.  Naturally, even though I'm not close to being "over 60" (apparently, the drummer doesn't have to be), I jumped at the opportunity!  In the past, I'd already been  a paddler, a drummer and a coach for various dragon boat teams.  So, I figured this would be a great way for me to perfect my skills and to learn from the coaches at this club.  As part of my personal training and boot camp business (Alter Ego Fitness Experience) I use my voice to motivate and encourage clients on a daily basis.  So, really, how tough could it be to adapt that approach to a dragon boat team?  Like riding a bike, right?

Right off the bat, the first week in the boat, I knew I was in for a huge learning curve.  Not just trying to remember all the women's names (turns out, that was the easy part).  But, instead, realizing that at a real competitive level, a drummer is required to call appropriate motivational and paddling cues as well as work with the stern to keep the crew safe and efficient!  I needed to learn how to "feel the boat", and with that feeling, call appropriate cues for the paddlers.

I knew some of the paddlers and coaches, from my past paddling experiences, but never realized just how dedicated they were or how much they really know about paddling and pulling crews together to paddle in a single dragon boat!  I'm learning so much, both as a drummer and a paddler, and I'm super excited about being able to share my experiences on our way to Italy with you.  This will be the first in a series of articles about my own journey.  As well, I'm hoping to share some of the various crew member's journeys too.

Now, as if I wasn't already feeling I had a bunch to learn, just last week I was handed a rule book.  Apparently, there are rules for World Championship racing!  Who knew?  And, failure to adhere to these rules could cost a crew a time penalty or, worse yet, disqualification from a race.  So, now I must go read (and memorize) this book and it's several pages long!  Wish me luck.

Until next time, paddles up!