Back to Training for Dragons!

Now that the Wide Bay Dragon Boat series for 2022 is complete, the Cooloola Dragon Boat Club is back in training for the next round of dragon boat regattas. First up on 27 November is the Manly regatta which is held each year on Lake Kawana at the Sunshine Coast.

This regatta is a real test of the teams’ stamina. It involves races of 500 metres and 2 kilometres. That is a serious distance for the paddlers and they need to be as fit as possible for the event.

Following the Manly regatta, the Cooloola team will compete in the Gold Coast Dragon Abreast Club’s regatta on 11 December. This event is held at Currumbin and is intended to be a fun event, and to encourage the Christmas spirit teams will be dressing up. CDBC’s costume arrangements are apparently strictly secret until the ‘great reveal’ at the regatta.

Cooloola’s new coach-in-training is Sandra Binnie – who is variously known affectionately as either ‘Binnie’ or ‘Wally’.  Wally as in ‘Where’s Wally’ because she has become something of a notorious photo-bomber and like the children’s book character Wally she can pop up anywhere at any time.  See if you can find ‘Wally’ in the attached group photo…

We should also note that Binnie lives in Gympie as do several other Cooloola Dragon Boat Club members; others come from areas such as Goomboorian and Rainbow Beach.  A little driving is no barrier to having fun on the dragon boat!

Binnie has taken to the coaching role with gusto. She has introduced new training drills which will build stamina and core body strength that will be needed for the longer races.

Don’t forget the Dragon’s Lair café in the Tin Can Bay RSL building on the third Saturday of each month when the market is on. There is always lots of good food for brekky or a quick snack before, during, or after your market shopping expedition.

You can see our menu in the accompanying photograph.  Cooloola Dragons member Jan Hughes is the ‘arty’ dragon who does the calligraphy for the menu. The Dragon’s Lair is the club’s main fundraiser so it would be good to see you there to enjoy some of the yummy food that’s on offer.

If you would like to be a part of the Cooloola Dragon Boat Club, please contact Coach Sandra on 0402 352 756. Don’t forget, the CDBC offers first-timers a free test run in the dragon boat.

Pamela Gorey