Lee Curtis

“I started dragon boat racing as I had a rough upbringing/childhood; I spent most of my time alone, didn’t have many friends, and didn’t enjoy life. I came across dragon boating on a trial day and really enjoyed it. I loved the team aspect and the friendliness of the sport, and it took off from there. This sport has made a huge difference in my life through the confidence boost it has given me; I can't fully explain the difference it has made to my life.

My favourite memory of dragon boat was racing for the GB U18 squad in 2017. I'd just come off some big personal issues and was just struggling to have the will to live. Having the build-up to the world championships that year gave me something to focus on and channel everything at with training. The team was also great to be around and was so supportive. We trained intensively through training camps; I remember finishing our normal sessions at 6pm and we sometimes even stayed out to do another 20+ 200ms. When we came away from worlds with a 200m gold, it was the perfect way to finish it off, coming home as world champions!”

[Lee Curtis (Bristol, United Kingdom), head coach on Bristol Empire Dragon Boat Club, paddler on Great Britain Premier national team and Paddlesports Racing Canoe Club, ex-paddler on Great Britain U18 national team.]

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