A pair of Richmond Secondary dragon boat teams are looking for more success at False Creek this weekend.
The Colts will have two crews participating in the annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival. The event gets underway on Friday and is expected to be the biggest yet with 6,000 competitors and over 125,000 in attendance.
Earlier this month, the TwoGood crew captured gold in the “C” Division of the VESSI 500 Championships. The Flying Colts nearly reached the podium as well, placing fourth in the “B” Division.
Captains Jamie Ello, Pamela Hung, Vince Ramos, and Annie Zhang, are proud of the development of each individual paddler and of the bond between the crews as a whole as they head back to False Creek this weekend.
The amazing thing about dragon boat is that it is a sport for everyone. With dedication and hard work, any paddler can turn into the strongest link. The Colts’ program is thriving thanks to the efforts of head coach and teacher/sponsor Ms. Yasui, along with the help of Colt alumni Marco Yip, Owen Fan, and Tate Teoh.
It was 15 years ago when the the Colts first participated in dragon boat racing. That original crew even needed to find paddlers from other schools just to enter races. Now there is enough student interest for two teams.
According to crew members, there is a strong ethic of inclusiveness in this sport and on this team. There is always room for everybody who wants to commit, and no one will be cut.
The program could not have grown so strong without the support of many people.
Numerous other alumni have come back over the years to help coach, Tim Horton’s Bridgeport generously donated a set of paddles, the RHS Alumni Committee has often contributed towards our fees, and most importantly, alumni paddlers reach out to cheer us on at every race.
Besides racing, the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival will feature local musicians and multicultural entertainers that will showcase the city's diverse social fabric. Visit here to see the entire line-up and schedule.
