Derrick Khor

“I started my dragon boat journey back in 2015, when I first attended Argo Naga’s open day. I can still recall exactly how I felt. We ended the open day with a 100m race and I thought I was going to die; my arms were killing me, as it had been many years since I had exercised!
However, I was attracted by how the sport brings people together from different areas, backgrounds and ages. Trust me on this: don’t doubt yourself because of your size, age or gender. I am not confident in sport; but now, suddenly, I have 100 teammates to work with towards a common goal, which increases my self-discipline and pushes me to work harder in the gym. I have learned a lot about my personal limits and how to push myself, developing by leaps and bounds as an athlete and an individual.

As my captain always says: ‘You are as strong and as weak as your teammates.’ There are no superheroes in dragon boat, no one can do it alone. The most challenging part of the whole experience is pushing ourselves to our physical and mental limits and, more importantly, finding our rhythm as a team.
Little did I know that this crazy sport would take me on a wonderful journey of personal and athletic growth, increased confidence, exciting travel, and fabulous friendships. My passion for paddling and dragon boating grows stronger every year.”

[Derrick Khor (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), paddler on Argo Naga Dragon Boat Team.]

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