Anh Vu Pham

"I heard about dragon boat when my older brother was in his school team when I was 13 years old. 4 years later, I attended the same college that he did.

I wanted to join, but I had my doubts because I was mostly a competitive badminton player. From an athletic standpoint, dragon boat was a way to develop my lack of strength.

At one of the first practices, most of the members were new and quiet. By the end of the school year, they were the funniest group of people I’d met. Summer was right around the corner and I could finally focus on the team. Coming from an individual sport, the building of camaraderie was what made me excited to start dragon boat.

Competitions are always exhilarating as someone who is competitively driven, but what’s the point of winning if it’s with people you don’t want to share those memories with? Compared to badminton, dragon boat became more than just winning for myself. As cheesy as it is, my most memorable dragon boat moments are related to the bonds I have built through this sport and how much it has enriched my life.

From cracking jokes during breaks to hanging out and getting to know teammates, I can proudly say with confidence that these are some of the closest friends I have. As Kim Ton, my first coach, once said :“DoD only lasts for a summer, but friendship lasts forever”. From my 2 years with DoD to my current team, True Grit, my teammates have always motivated me to push past my limits with a bit of healthy competition among one another.

Support and love from coaches and teammates in this physically and mentally demanding sport are my driving forces for becoming a better athlete and teammate, as well as a better human being. That is my way of thanking them for investing in me."

[Anh Vu Pham (Montreal, QC, Canada), paddler on 22D U24 True Grit, ex-paddler on Descendants of the Dragon.]

099