From Behind The Cameras, Matt, July 2015

Originally, I was the camera man behind the scenes filming. Being the guy on shore, I was eager to know how it felt to be a paddler. My uncle encouraged me to try something new, so I joined the sport of dragonboating. Oh boy, it wasn't as easy as it looked. Practice was definitely a challenge in the beginning, however I knew it had prepared me for race day. I didn't know what to expect for my first race at Long Beach ,I was nervous, yet pumped with adrenaline. I had a mentality of not giving up and staying strong, because I WANTED that GOLD SHINY medal!

I have been a paddler for a year now, and I have not had any regrets in joining this team. Our Dragon Healers team has a unique, unbreakable type of bond. It's also nice to see the diversity in our team. I believe that I am lucky to have Ross and Kathy as my coach/captain, because they do everything they can to ensure that everyone has fun and is ready for race day.

We recently came back from our annual race at Long Beach and this year we had great success. Both crews gave everything they had, and both came home with gold medals!

Our team is definitely improving and rising up. This weekend I felt like we showed our team's dominance and we showed everyone what the Healers are capable of. I plan to continue challenging myself to improve and become a stroke and a leader.

-Matt