Denise our ever enthusiastic chairperson beats time on her drum in the front of the boat. Her voice carries on the breeze over our heads “I love you dragons, you don’t know the pleasure you’re giving me!” and you can feel the grins in the boat although no one has time to look at each other. We know what she means cause we’re feeling it too. When it goes right, there is nothing better, the effortless gliding of the boat through the silky water, all paddles in perfect time, “stretch, hinge, rotate, pull” , blue sky over our heads, the river a still mirror.

It starts on a winter’s Monday evening, sitting on the bank of the swimming pool learning your strokes. You clash paddles, splash yourself and your teammates with your clumsy strokes, but you keep paddling because everyone encourages you, you’re part of the team.
You find yourself at home ‘practicing’, wobbling on a kitchen stool wielding the sweeping brush as your paddle!

Finally in Spring you hit the river. OMG but the water’s awfully close when you’re in the boat! Will the feckin thing ever stop wobbling you think? You hear about tides, wind speeds, currents, will this ever make sense? But slowly it does. You even survive the attack of the Daddy swan. You’re a Dragon.

You may never get to the Olympics but it won’t be from lack of trying! But if awards were given for encouragement, support and craic we’d win hands down.

Lysanne Sheridan