Junjee Ramillete

"I used to love dragon boat even when I was a child. Whenever there was an event in our city, my dad and I usually went to where the event was going on. One day, one of my friends invited me to join dragon boat and without hesitation, I accepted it! Being a paddler doesn’t just help me become fit and disciplined, but also it has helped me to gain a lot of friends who have become like my family.

One of the most unforgettable and most recent moments that happened during race day was when I saw the faces of my co-paddlers, with no regrets at all. Even though we didn't make it to the top three, my team acted like ‘We Are the Champions’. Everybody could see how genuinely happy we were, and moreover we’d gained experience and another opportunity to train and paddle hard. Because of that, we have met lots of folks from other teams and have fortunately become friends. We have become united and I think that is certainly the most important part of the competition. In dragon boat, I have found a new family and another outlet in my life. Joining dragon boat is definitely one of the best decisions I've made in my life!

Paddles up!"

[Junjee Ramillete (Philippines), paddler on Hiraya Minokawa.]

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