THERE ARE FAR more glamorous and popular sports in Ireland than women’s Dragon Boat racing, nonetheless, there seems to be a sense of dignity about its participants that isn’t always evident in the behaviour of some more high-profile athletes.
Dragon Boating racing requires immense application, self-sacrifice, persistence and mental strength, while all this endeavour is rarely rewarded handsomely. The sport is often compared to rowing, though there are plenty of differences, including the fact that there are more people in the boat (22 to be exact), two rows of athletes instead of one and a different type of oar that is used.
Emily Smith has been involved in the sport for several years now, both on the administrative side (she is the manager of the Irish national team) and at a competitive level. Her current role as manager does not prevent the Carlow-based athlete from trying out for a spot on the team, nor does it give her any advantages in the “ruthless” paddle machine tests that athletes must undertake to earn a place on the boat for events such as the upcoming European Championships.
And though there is plenty of pain involved and little glory for the most part, it remains an exciting time for Dragon Boat racing. According to the Irish Dragon Boat Association (IDBA), it is the fastest growing team sport in the world, with over 50 million paddlers worldwide, roughly 1,500 of whom compete in Ireland.
Despite its popularity, Dragon Boat racing in its modern format is relatively new. The first-ever World Championships was as recently as 1995, while the IDBA was formed 10 years later before being formally launched in 2010.
There are currently eight full-time IDBA-affiliated Dragon Boat clubs, along with a number of other unofficial teams.
In July, the Irish team will travel to Rome to take part in the European Dragon Boat Championships, while they will also be participating in the World Championships in China in 2017.
Meanwhile, in March, the Irish team are set to spend some time in Murcia, Spain. Sessions at the acclaimed Dragon Boat Pinatar Training Camp will be combined with an international regatta in the same location, as participants brace themselves for the final team selection for the European Championships in April.
“It started off with about 50 women who came forward and we’re now down to about 30 who are fully committed,” Smith tells The42. “A lot of other people realised that physically, they weren’t there. They hadn’t fully anticipated the level of commitment that was going to be needed.”
As someone who works a full-time job as Head of Operations at MyBio.ie (which is described on its official website as “the country’s most proactive supplier of research products, technologies and knowledge to the Scientific Research Industry”) coupled with her intense training regime, Smith is well placed to discuss the considerable demands that wholeheartedly investing in the sport entails. Such is her love of Dragon Boat racing, for instance, that she uses up her annual leave travelling to tournaments.
“My employers are really supportive of it,” she adds. “I’m in a position where I can give them enough notice (about tournaments).
I’ve got the balance and it’s not affecting my work. And (my employers) actually can’t get over it. They’re really interested in what we’re doing and what we’re trying to achieve, so they’re right behind me.”
Diet is another hugely important factor for athletes, she says.
“We have received nutritional advice and we do maintain training diaries and nutritional diaries because I suppose we’re fully committed to this and we either do it properly or we don’t do it at all.”
And Smith is not alone in her dedication to the cause.
“Everybody (in the Irish squad) pretty much works full time, so the training happens before work or after work,” she says. “For myself personally, I’m in the gym three nights a week where I’m focusing on weights and strength and conditioning. I’m running three nights a week, 10-15k, to keep up my aerobics fitness for endurance and stamina. I have one night off and every weekend, we’re in the boats, either with the international team, doing two-day intensive training sessions, or we’re in the boats with our local clubs, which are generally on the water every Saturday and or Sunday.”
The team is comprised largely of individuals with backgrounds in other sports, while many of its members are based in Carlow, where there is also a big rowing community.
I did sports my whole life,” Smith explains. “I was involved in all sorts of sports. I just stopped playing. Life took over, work took over and I really missed it. (Later) I was looking for a team sport that was available all year round. When you look at things like tag rugby, hockey or cricket, they’re all seasonal sports. I read an article about Dragon Boating in Carlow where I’m based and I thought ‘jeez, that sounds like fun,’ and to say I’ve been hooked ever since would be an understatement.”
The Irish team features athletes from a collection of miscellaneous sporting backgrounds, including ex-Leinster Rugby players, marathon runners, karate champions, endurance athletes and competitive rowers.
Smith is confident, however, that this unlikely collection of sporting misfits can come together to triumph in Rome this summer. They are currently producing times that are on a par with some of the world’s best teams and there is a level of optimism that this form will only improve as the competition’s commencement approaches and training intensifies.
Dragon Boating is understood to have over 50 million participants worldwide.
Nonetheless, to be in with a chance of making a substantial impact, the Irish team must cover 200m in roughly 50 seconds — they are currently two seconds off this time.
“We’re going out there with the intention to not return without (a medal). We’re all working incredibly hard to get to that level,” Smith adds.
The presence of Carlow native Mick Doyle in the set-up certain enhances their chances. The team’s coach is a former World Championship gold medallist with Great Britain and has over 24 years of experience in the sport. “We’re incredibly lucky to have him as our coach,” she says.
And looking ahead to the team selection for the Euros, Smith admits that she will be “devastated” if she fails to make the cut, but will still go along to support the team if this happens to be the case. She describes the paddle machine tests, on which the team selection is based, as “torturous”.
“The tension and the traction on the machine is put up to the highest, so you’re essentially pulling twice your own body weight,” she explains. “You have to do a 200m, 500m and 2000m distance. There’s a few things that are going to be observed when you’re doing it.
Mainly, (it’s to do with) your speed when you go through each of these distances and then your technique, because technique is imperative. You can’t just get into the boat and paddle like a mad thing and hope that it works. There’s a lot of physics behind how you propel the boat forward, so it’s those two elements that will decide whether or not you’re on the boat.
“In time trials up to now, there have been some cases where women have been not put on the boat over hundredths and tenths of seconds. That’s how tight it is and how ruthless it is. So essentially, it’s about strength, speed and technique.
“And nobody is guaranteed a spot. It really is down to what you deliver on the day.”
And while Smith’s positivity about the team’s chances in July is stark, she finishes the interview by acknowledging that in many ways, the Irish team are competing on an uneven playing field.
I was reading this morning about one particular paddler on the Canadian men’s team and he trains full time — he has done since he was 18 — and he’s funded by his government full time. He’s a multi-medal winner representing Canada. A lot of countries outside of Ireland do have that level of Dragon Boating happening where their paddlers are full-time paddlers. They’re funded by their countries and encouraged by their countries to represent them on the international stage.
“I think there are two things that go against us. There’s the fact that Dragon Boating hasn’t been fully recognised in Ireland for its potential while our team is a women’s team, and sadly, getting funding for women in sport isn’t as easy it is for men, which is disappointing. It’s why we’re pushing this Pledgesports campaign (which is essentially a crowdfunding platform for Irish athletes — among other nationalities — not fortunate enough to get a Sports Council grant) really hard. Up to this point, we have been self-funded and we will continue to do that. But any level of supporter sponsorship that we can obtain will obviously make it easier and will help with the success of the team.”
For more information and to donate to the Irish Dragon Boat team’s Pledgesports campaign, click here.
‘Sadly, getting funding for women in sport isn’t as easy it is for men’
THERE ARE FAR more glamorous and popular sports in Ireland than women’s Dragon Boat racing, nonetheless, there seems to be a sense of dignity about its participants that isn’t always evident in the behaviour of some more high-profile athletes.
Dragon Boating racing requires immense application, self-sacrifice, persistence and mental strength, while all this endeavour is rarely rewarded handsomely. The sport is often compared to rowing, though there are plenty of differences, including the fact that there are more people in the boat (22 to be exact), two rows of athletes instead of one and a different type of oar that is used.
Emily Smith has been involved in the sport for several years now, both on the administrative side (she is the manager of the Irish national team) and at a competitive level. Her current role as manager does not prevent the Carlow-based athlete from trying out for a spot on the team, nor does it give her any advantages in the “ruthless” paddle machine tests that athletes must undertake to earn a place on the boat for events such as the upcoming European Championships.
And though there is plenty of pain involved and little glory for the most part, it remains an exciting time for Dragon Boat racing. According to the Irish Dragon Boat Association (IDBA), it is the fastest growing team sport in the world, with over 50 million paddlers worldwide, roughly 1,500 of whom compete in Ireland.
Despite its popularity, Dragon Boat racing in its modern format is relatively new. The first-ever World Championships was as recently as 1995, while the IDBA was formed 10 years later before being formally launched in 2010.
There are currently eight full-time IDBA-affiliated Dragon Boat clubs, along with a number of other unofficial teams.
In July, the Irish team will travel to Rome to take part in the European Dragon Boat Championships, while they will also be participating in the World Championships in China in 2017.
Meanwhile, in March, the Irish team are set to spend some time in Murcia, Spain. Sessions at the acclaimed Dragon Boat Pinatar Training Camp will be combined with an international regatta in the same location, as participants brace themselves for the final team selection for the European Championships in April.
“It started off with about 50 women who came forward and we’re now down to about 30 who are fully committed,” Smith tells The42. “A lot of other people realised that physically, they weren’t there. They hadn’t fully anticipated the level of commitment that was going to be needed.”
As someone who works a full-time job as Head of Operations at MyBio.ie (which is described on its official website as “the country’s most proactive supplier of research products, technologies and knowledge to the Scientific Research Industry”) coupled with her intense training regime, Smith is well placed to discuss the considerable demands that wholeheartedly investing in the sport entails. Such is her love of Dragon Boat racing, for instance, that she uses up her annual leave travelling to tournaments.
“My employers are really supportive of it,” she adds. “I’m in a position where I can give them enough notice (about tournaments).
Diet is another hugely important factor for athletes, she says.
“We have received nutritional advice and we do maintain training diaries and nutritional diaries because I suppose we’re fully committed to this and we either do it properly or we don’t do it at all.”
And Smith is not alone in her dedication to the cause.
“Everybody (in the Irish squad) pretty much works full time, so the training happens before work or after work,” she says. “For myself personally, I’m in the gym three nights a week where I’m focusing on weights and strength and conditioning. I’m running three nights a week, 10-15k, to keep up my aerobics fitness for endurance and stamina. I have one night off and every weekend, we’re in the boats, either with the international team, doing two-day intensive training sessions, or we’re in the boats with our local clubs, which are generally on the water every Saturday and or Sunday.”
The team is comprised largely of individuals with backgrounds in other sports, while many of its members are based in Carlow, where there is also a big rowing community.
The Irish team features athletes from a collection of miscellaneous sporting backgrounds, including ex-Leinster Rugby players, marathon runners, karate champions, endurance athletes and competitive rowers.
Smith is confident, however, that this unlikely collection of sporting misfits can come together to triumph in Rome this summer. They are currently producing times that are on a par with some of the world’s best teams and there is a level of optimism that this form will only improve as the competition’s commencement approaches and training intensifies.
Nonetheless, to be in with a chance of making a substantial impact, the Irish team must cover 200m in roughly 50 seconds — they are currently two seconds off this time.
“We’re going out there with the intention to not return without (a medal). We’re all working incredibly hard to get to that level,” Smith adds.
The presence of Carlow native Mick Doyle in the set-up certain enhances their chances. The team’s coach is a former World Championship gold medallist with Great Britain and has over 24 years of experience in the sport. “We’re incredibly lucky to have him as our coach,” she says.
And looking ahead to the team selection for the Euros, Smith admits that she will be “devastated” if she fails to make the cut, but will still go along to support the team if this happens to be the case. She describes the paddle machine tests, on which the team selection is based, as “torturous”.
“The tension and the traction on the machine is put up to the highest, so you’re essentially pulling twice your own body weight,” she explains. “You have to do a 200m, 500m and 2000m distance. There’s a few things that are going to be observed when you’re doing it.
“In time trials up to now, there have been some cases where women have been not put on the boat over hundredths and tenths of seconds. That’s how tight it is and how ruthless it is. So essentially, it’s about strength, speed and technique.
“And nobody is guaranteed a spot. It really is down to what you deliver on the day.”
And while Smith’s positivity about the team’s chances in July is stark, she finishes the interview by acknowledging that in many ways, the Irish team are competing on an uneven playing field.
“I think there are two things that go against us. There’s the fact that Dragon Boating hasn’t been fully recognised in Ireland for its potential while our team is a women’s team, and sadly, getting funding for women in sport isn’t as easy it is for men, which is disappointing. It’s why we’re pushing this Pledgesports campaign (which is essentially a crowdfunding platform for Irish athletes — among other nationalities — not fortunate enough to get a Sports Council grant) really hard. Up to this point, we have been self-funded and we will continue to do that. But any level of supporter sponsorship that we can obtain will obviously make it easier and will help with the success of the team.”
For more information and to donate to the Irish Dragon Boat team’s Pledgesports campaign, click here.
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