Lennart Pentzek
“When I was 9, a friend asked me if I’d like to paddle at a canoe club in Rostock. That’s how my passion for paddling started 28 years ago. I did canoe sprint for about ten years and after my last year at the junior’s, I became a coach for younger athletes. When I was at a competition with them, a dragon boat team had a training camp at the same place and I noticed some familiar faces among the paddlers. We talked about the past and also about whether I would like to start dragon boat. At the time, I still had the wish of paddling on a high level and in 2004, I became part of the ‘Team MV’, a successful German dragon boat team (existed until ‘08). After one year of almost no sports, in 2009 I started dragon boat again. That meant not only doing the sport again, but also becoming a member of the Wannsea Dragons from Berlin, which changed my view and attitude to the sport. Of course, winning titles is still cool, but the club, the teammates and friendship are much more important than standing on the podium.
It is very difficult to answer the question of my favorite memory after 15 years of paddling dragon boat. There were many! Of course, the two gold medals with the German national team (Premier Open) in 2006 (ICF) and in 2013 (IDBF) were outstanding. Winning the 1000m at those two competitions was just great! In both seasons, we had great paddlers with a good mix of power, the absolute will to win and having a lot of fun. Just great! Apart from competitions and winning medals, my favorite memory is becoming a part of the Wannsea Dragons. I enjoy every training camp, every competition and every trip with my buddies from Berlin. We make each event memorable for us - sometimes for the other teams, too, and I hope I have many more years of paddling with them ahead. I have been proud to be a Wannsea for more than 10 years now. Cheers!”
[Lennart Pentzek (Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany), paddler on Wannsea Dragons, Berlin Dragon Boat Company, & Premier Open/Mixed German national team.]
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