Abrielle Fulton

“I first started paddling way back in 2008/2009 on my high school team after years of watching my sister compete. It's funny looking back on those days and remembering how good I thought I was. Thank goodness there is no video evidence of how I paddled back then.

I think my most memorable dragon boat story is currently in the making. With this pandemic, you begin to see how strong the sense of community is within our sport worldwide, from sharing creative ways to workout to interacting with teammates through video calls. The support across the map has been incredible. Individual and team sacrifices are being made, but it is essential during this time to do our part to protect our personal, public and global health.

It's truly during these tough times that you realize how big of a role this sport plays in your life and reminds you that you would do anything for those on your team. Previously, that meant laying it all on the line at every practice; now that means staying home and staying healthy!

As much as I would love to say that setting a world record in our premier women's 200m final in Thailand is my favourite, I think seeing everybody come out of this hard time even stronger will be up there, too.

I have endless appreciation for our coaches and facility owners during this time, as they have been so selfless during this time, providing nothing but whole-hearted support to help everybody stay on track while encouraging social distancing to protect the health of their communities.”

[Abrielle Fulton (Toronto, ON, Canada), paddler/steerer on U24 & Premier Canadian national team, paddler on True North Premier Women & Hammerheads, ex-paddler on PDBC, ex-coach at University of Guelph/Pink Sensations/Cobourg Survivor Thrivers/PDBC recreational.]

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