Tek Li

“I started dragon boat sophomore year of high school as cross-training for varsity wrestling and as a way to be closer to my Chinese heritage. Mission High School's Chinese Club organized dragon boat as one of their activities; their captain at the time encouraged me to check it out. I kept going out after the first session. I loved being out on water and it was a way to get to know a LOT of new people instantly. For my extroverted tendencies, dragon boat fit really well. It also fulfilled my competitive edge.

My favorite dragon boat story would have to be where I met my wife, Eri! In 2015, it was the last year that the San Francisco race was held at Treasure Island. New York Wall Street Dragons came to race and my team, San Francisco Dragon Warriors, hosted them. We added each other on Facebook, chatted a bit here and there, and didn't think much of each other, but we ended up hanging out and getting to know each other more after the race at the afterparty. Dragon boating is about the competition, but it's also about the relationships that you build with all sorts of people! I'm so glad that paddling brought Eri and me together!”

[Tek Li (San Francisco, CA, USA), coach on San Francisco Dragon Warriors, paddler on San Francisco Outrigger Canoe Club.]

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