Junior Shiama

“I’d never done a team sport before, but after finding Buzz Dragon, I discovered how awesome it is to be part of a team. There is an amazing amount of support/mutual motivation/pleasure in being with your teammates for training and during competition. A dragon boat team quickly becomes more like a family than just a sports team.

The most memorable day for me is during my first competition. I was a rookie and it was the first race of the season. Our men’s boat went to the gold final, and during the race, our boat crashed into another boat! I was super scared and didn’t know what to do. We finished last, but my main worry was whether I’d done something wrong and caused the collision. The entire team came to me one by one to tell me that I reacted well and that this sometimes happens; they gave me the strength to continue and go harder and stronger. The way they all reacted made me understand that I was a member of the team. We don't blame people in dragon boat; it’s teamwork! Our dedication will make us win together!”

[Junior Boma-Kapitene-Shiama (Hong Kong & French national born in Africa), paddler on Buzz Dragon.]

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