Andre Gutierrez

“My boyfriend had been paddling for four years and he invited me to try dragon boat. He said his teammates were curious to meet me, but I was hesitant to try the sport since I didn’t see myself as athletically inclined.
When I was in Singapore as an exchange student, I ended up catching a glimpse of the Singapore Dragon Boat Festival. Seeing so many teams compete and watching some races got me so amused and eager that I told my boyfriend I’d try out dragon boating when I returned to Manila. We finally got up early one morning, drove to Manila Bay, and paddled together for the first time.
I was out of sync, stiff, and felt very weak during my first try. I was upset at myself during that first day because I felt like I didn’t get anything right, but my teammates told me to keep training and I’d get better. I’ve been training for a little over a year now and it’s fulfilling to have my team captains and coach tell me that I’m improving.
I guess that’s what motivates me as a paddler - knowing that each training day gives me an opportunity to do better than before and that there’s always room for growth. I’m glad to be part of a team that doesn’t focus on how good you are today, but looks at how much you’ve grown as a paddler through training, constantly challenging yourself, and of course having fun along the way!

Sometimes what makes getting up early to train worth it are the scenic views that not everyone gets to witness.

Attending our team’s 4:30am weekday training required us to be present at the docksite earlier than usual. After doing warm-up on land, we went to the boats and it was still dark. This was my first time seeing a Manila that was asleep. We paddled in the bay, and soon, the sun was rising, changing the sky from a dark indigo to watercolor-esque yellows, oranges, and pinks. We saw Manila slowly “wake up” as the silhouette of the city skyline emerged that morning. That was the most beautiful view of Manila I’d ever seen.”

[Theodore “Andre” Gutierrez (Metro Manila, Philippines), paddler on Triton Dragon Boat Racing Team.]

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