John Colasito

“I first started dragon boat in 2008 when my uncle formed a team for D.C.’s local festival. At the time, I’d never heard of the sport but thought it was pretty cool to be on a team with a bunch of guys and race. My uncle was very passionate about it because he’d paddled in Manila when the sport was still in its pioneering years. He recruited 6 of our family for the race, and I’m happy to say my family is just as invested in the sport due to the togetherness of the dragon boat community.

We had some practices with DC Dragons, where we trained and learned the ropes. Much anticipation led up to my first race day; you could feel the tension in the boat when the men's team came to the start line. It was my first experience of that pumped energy and quiet anticipation; everyone wanted to cross that finish line first. I remember the adrenaline as we heard the starter: “Are you READY!?...ATTENTION PLEASE!” “BEEP!” from the horn. That feeling of jumping off the line has had me hooked on paddling ever since.

Racing at 2019 US Nationals in Colorado Springs currently holds most memorable in my 12 years of paddling. Teams from all over the country hoped to secure a bid for 2020 Club Crew Worlds. Not only was the magnitude of that race most memorable, but the racing conditions left an impression. Racing at 6000+ feet altitude, I’d never been so grateful to train at sea level at home. Despite the elevation difference, we acclimatized quickly, and on race day, we were competitive and gave it our all. I was proud of us and how we adapted and maintained flexibility to new strategies throughout the day. As a result, we were able to win the overall championship!”

[John Colasito (San Diego, CA, USA), coach/paddler on Southbreeze Dragon Boat, ex-paddler on U18 & U23 US national teams, Rising Tide Dragon Boat, Los Angeles Racing Dragons, California United Dragon Boat, and DC Dragons.]

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