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The Coulee Classic Dragons won silver at Dragon Boat Canada's national championships in Montreal, August 18-21, 2022. (Image: Ed Nguyen Photography)

Local dragon boat racers win silver at national championships

Sep 3, 2022 | 2:58 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A team of dragon boat racers from Southern Alberta hit the podium at a national event.

Dragon Boat Canada’s national championships were held in Montreal on August 18-21, 2022.

The Coulee Classic Dragons (CCD), a 21-person team consisting of boaters from Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Taber, Coaldale, Airdrie, and Calgary raced in the Women’s Senior C-60+ category.

Over three days of competition, the local crew competed in 200 metre, 500 metre, 1,000 metre, and 2,000 metre events.

Co-Coach Karen Johnson had been working with the CCD for the past two years and says she is proud of what they were able to accomplish.

“All our team effort meant we showed up in Montreal well-prepared for competition, finishing mere seconds in every race right behind the gold medalists’ crew from the Pickering Dragon Boat Club, an extremely competitive master’s crew known for winning wherever they travel,” says Johnson. “Coulee Classic Dragons represented southern Alberta very well!”

Considering that the team’s average age is “closer to 70 than 50,” Johnson attributed their performance to living a healthy lifestyle.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now