Dragon boat racing is one of the fastest growing sports in Canada and U of T Scarborough’s team, the Scartans, haven’t been left out of the chase.
The Scartans were founded in 2004 and participate in three major festivals each year; the Montreal International Dragonboat Festival, the Toronto Island Dragonboat Festival, and the Pickering Dragonboat Festival.
During the last competition season, the team picked up a gold in the premier final F division 250m final in Montreal, a gold in the premier E division 500m in Toronto, and came first place in the premier B division in Pickering.
To prepare for competitions, which take place in the summer, the team trains rigorously throughout the school year.
The team holds land practices at UTSC’s athletic facilities, pool practices at West Hill C.I., and lake practices at Balmy Beach Club in the Beaches.
The long and strenuous practices are not unheard of to many of the team’s veterans who have competed at the international level.
Ellen Letts was part of Canada’s National U23 team that participated at the 2009 World Championships in Prague while Alfred Ku, Massey Ahmar, Armi De Francia, Carmen Yung, and Julian D’Cruz were all part of the Alliance U23 Dragonboat Club team that came in third overall at the 2010 Club Crew World Championships in Macau, China.
The dedication and commitment of each and every member of the team, regardless of skill level, makes it a positive environment not only to develop as an athlete, but to form friendships.
“You get physically fit, you feel competitive, and just being on the team is so much fun!” said Cameron Wilson, who is in his fourth year and double majors in political science and economics at UTSC.
Fourth-year double major in psychology and integrative biology Beverly Hestick agreed, “The best part is being with 20 other people who aren’t just your teammates; they’re your friends. It’s nice to meet a bunch of new people when we start tryouts. ”
Hestick’s teammate and seasoned dragonboat racing veteran, Averill Che, said, “It’s one of the only sports where the girls are at an equal playing field with the guys, everyone is the same, and everyone plays an important role.”
“I love the fact that I’m working together in unison with people who have a common goal, which is to win,” agreed Philip Luu, a third-year double major in neuroscience and psychology. “Every single person contributes a big portion to the team.”
For more information on how to get involved with the Scartans, click here, or email [email protected].
