Squamish's Team Chawanda Dragon Boat racing team's hard work paid off at the seventh annual Deep Cove Dash for Charity on Saturday (April 28).
Chawanda kicked off the event by blazing through the 200-metre sprint in 58.93 seconds, beating out their opponents by more than 1.5 seconds. Chawanda was then placed firmly into the A division and eventually made it to the A finals to compete against the other three best women's teams.
The final race was close, with all four boats separated by less than two seconds, but Chawanda ended up placing fourth, with Kelowna's Draggin in the Drink picking up the gold.
This was the third time Team Chawanda had attended the race and again the team improved on last year's performance. Under the guidance of coaches Carl Mendoza and Macky Somaliland, the core of Chawanda trained throughout the winter both in the gym and pool. In March the athletes took to the water, paddling three to four times a week and the first results of the year bore the fruits of the women's hard work.
The hard work and dedication moved the Chawanda up two whole divisions from last year's placement and as Mendoza told the team at the end of the weekend, "Ladies, we had only 18 paddlers, compared to the other teams' 20. They know who we are now."
The 麻豆社国产Dragon Boat Association (SDBA) is inviting anyone who would like to know more about the sport to give it a try. The SDBA needs more women and would like to get a men's or mixed team going, as well as a youth team. Drop-ins are always welcome, and more information can be found on the group's Facebook page, 麻豆社国产Dragon Boat Association.
