FCRCC Team Canada Get's Ready for Worlds!

It is a stressful time of the season: early enough to make some little changes that may make as faster, too late for any big changes, too early to rest, tired all the time...

However, the team stays upbeat and optimistic as we go into our final 4 weeks before our big trip to Prague for the World Championships! We have 32 athletes from the FCRCC High Performance Dragon Boat Program competing in Prague within 5 categories: premier mixed, premier open,senior women, senior open and U-23. In addition, FCRCC has five junior paddlers from Eric Hamber High Shcool's team that are going to race in the junior division. These great kids have been coming out to train with the program to help them, and us, prepare.

Our primary focus is the Premier Mixed category as the entire team is from FCRCC. Many of us have spent the last 4 or more years paddling together and are relishing this opportunity to see how we can stack up against the best in the World. In 2007, in this same event, we won a gold in the 2000m, silver in the 500m and 4th in the 200m and are hoping to better these results. All we can do is prepare ourselves the best way we know how and that's what we're doing.

Keep posted for updates and results as our journey continues. Next stop, Harrison DB festival. Then, on to Prague on August 19!!

FCRCC Sprint Outrigger Teams

The FCRCC Sprint Outrigger Teams have been enjoying much success in the CORA Cup Distance Outrigger Circuit this season, with both the men and the women leading in the current points standings. These teams were created to provide an avenue for members of the FCRCC High Performance Dragon Boat Team to train and race outrigger, as a secondary focus to dragon boat. Most team members are racing at the Dragon Boat World Championships which is their priority by necessity. The teams have been fortunate to be bolstered by some non-dragon boating wily OC-6 veterans, who, for their own reasons, are not able to commit to the frequent practices of the club's successful distance outrigger program. Or, in other cases, are committed to the upcoming 2010 World Outrigger Sprints, to which these teams will shift their focus after the completion of the dragon boat season.

Members of these teams are grateful for the opportunity to race through the distance season as it is a definite benefit to our team's fitness and camaraderie moving into the sprint events: dragon boat and outrigger.

I frequently have paddlers at outrigger clinics sheepishly tell me they started in dragon boating as if this is a bad thing. To all of you, paddling is paddling. Love it and it will love you back.

Kamini

Sudden Impact Prepares for Nationals

Sudden Impact Black of Cultus Lake, Chiliwack, is preparing to race at the Canadian Dragon Boat Championships in Montreal in August. I coach the team for one of their practices every week and I am very happy with how they are progressing and how hard they are working in this final stretch. As any dragon boat team organizer would know, it is very difficult to get a full team to commit to this type of endeavor which includes not only the trip and the training, but also competing as a full team in two qualifying events during the season, but they have managed to pull it together.

The team is a combination of veterans and new-comers who's chemistry and enthusiasm has earned them solid results in the B.C. race circuit this season. They are noted for a very strong start and we're working on a finish to go with it.

Next, Harrison and then, the big show! SI will be the only B.C. team at the event and we expect it will be a great experience as the team and other local teams move toward Nationals in B.C. next summer!

Kamini