Blake Ellis/The Independent

Four young athletes had an experience of the lifetime bringing home a boatload of medals in the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships. 

Members of the Lambton Shores Dragon Boat Club in Port Frank represented Canada – Julia Chagnon of Clinton, Kennedie Urquhart of Wyoming with Lena Eagleson of Grand Bend and Graham Mitchell of Watford – went to Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany from July 14 to 20. Thirty-three nations participated. 

“It was really good to have this experience,” said Eagleson. “I was hoping for a gold.” The Ukraine foiled her first place aspirations but she walked away with four silvers and two bronze medals around her neck. 

“The Ukraine was very strong, they surprised almost everybody there,” said Chagnon, who captured two golds and five silvers during the international competition.

While Chagnon had competed once before internationally in Thailand, it was a new experience for the other three from the Lambton Shores Dragon Boat Club. 

“It was really cool,” said Urquhart, who took home two golds and two silvers. She admitted when you see the regatta for the first time and all the teams, “it is kind of an eye opener,” especially coming from a small club like Lambton Shores. 

“Every time you go, no matter what, it is a cool experience,” said Chagnon. 

Mitchell, who won two silvers, was impressed with how big the event was and the number of people in the athletes village. Nearly 5,000 athletes and supporters participated in the event.

While the Lambton Shores athletes time in the dragon boat sport varies from two to six years, they were drawn to the team sport’s need to be synchronized in order to be successful.

“When you are out there, you are by yourself,” said Chagnon, despite it being a team sport. A lot of the time, you are trying to beat your own best times. 

To qualify to represent Canada, there were two main try outs, followed by a showcase in Montreal that served as a training camp. That was the first time members of Team Canada paddled together. 

There were a total of 96 athletes on Team Canada in the Under 16 and Under 18 age groups, with the entire team being in the 400 person range. 

Some of the Lambton Shores team members already have their eye on the international competition to be held in Hong Kong in 2027. International championships happen every two years.