Sammie Pan

"It was the summer of 2018. From the outside, my life looked pretty good - good job, good food, good friends. And it was, pretty good. Comfortable. But empty. Lonely.

Dissatisfaction is a catalyst for change.

I guess that’s how I found myself searching for LGBT sports groups. As I scrolled through the list, one club caught my attention - ‘Different Strokes Dragon Boat Club.'

‘Dragon boating, that’s made in China,’ I thought to myself. ‘I’m made in China.’

Perhaps then, it was a potential sense of belonging that ultimately drew me in. 

‘Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.’ (Amy Poehler)

Joining Different Strokes was one of the best decisions I ever made. It's given me strength, health and a new lease on life. But perhaps most importantly, it's given me one very happy surprise. As cliché as it sounds, I never thought I'd find the missing piece of the puzzle.

Since joining the sport, I've had the opportunity to paddle with Ice Dragons in my home city, Nantong, where my parents brought along extended family to watch me race. This was a significant moment of acceptance for me. Earlier in the year when my parents came to visit, they weren't thrilled with the fact that I did dragon boating, let alone with an LGBT club. Traditionally, women were not allowed to paddle in dragon boats. Only in the 1970s did this start to change as it evolved into a modern water sport.

Dragon boating - it sparks joy."

[Sammie Pan (Sydney, Australia & Nantong, China), paddler on Different Strokes Dragon Boat Club.]

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