My First Ever Dragon Boat Race at Deas Slough

Lorraine Krakow

I don't think there are enough adjectives in the English language to describe the gamut of emotions that I experienced at Deas Slough on Sunday. This is my first season as a paddler, preceded by three years of ill health. Although I had been in the gym off and on since October, I started the season in lousy shape. But ever since I saw the video of Abreast in A Boat at the Cancer Agency last spring I have had a dream, an intense vision of myself on the water, paddling my heart out. My family was skeptical; "just watch me", I proclaimed. The first month was a struggle to keep my spirits up. I was the worst paddler on the boat, always pulling my paddle during pieces - dogged by sharp shoulder pain and breathlessness. I often cried on the way home on Saturdays, thinking I would never make it. I feared coach Ruth would realize how hopeless I was and kick me off the team.

Captain Jenny assured me that she would never let that happen. Ruth never gave up on me. One practice she corrected me at least ten times, and I felt blessed! I took it as a sign that she thought there was hope for me. A very good friend said to me "don't think of yourself as the worst on the boat, think of yourself as one of a small group of amazing women who had the courage and commitment to get out there and try it. You are a winner just by being on the boat!" I began to get stronger and better at paddling. I quickly grew to love my team of wonderful paddlers. Some nights being out on the water was so lovely it moved me to tears. When we began practicing race starts the adrenaline rush was orgasmic! Still, I didn't think I would be ready to race this year. I told myself it was OK for me to be on a two year project. Kathy convinced me at the Keg one night that I really could race at Deas Slough and be OK. By then I had managed one three minute practice race without pulling my paddle. I reasoned that I could probably do one race, but not three, in a day. Ruth never said a word. So I didn't either.

I arrived at Deas Slough on Sunday more excited than I was nervous for the first race. The warm up was fun, - we were all in jubilant moods it seemed. Ruth was amazing. She really wants us focused "in the boat" and she helps make that possible for us by being so intensely focused herself. She spoke with such authority and self confidence that all of our nerves and scattered energy evaporated and there we were: all together holding hands and visualizing ourselves going through a race. The most wonderful moment for me was leaving the dock to paddle out for the first race. Our wonderful drummer Donna called "PADDLES UP! And for the first time, as we drove our paddles into the water, we heard the boom, boom, boom, of the drum. My heart nearly burst through my chest I was so thrilled! The race was exciting and exhausting and was over in a flash, just like they told us it would be. During the race I followed Ruth's advice and just thought about each stroke in the moment; this stroke, this stroke, this stroke. There was one brief moment when I suddenly thought, " Oh my God, where the F---is the finish line", but I caught myself and went back to "this stroke, this stroke, this stroke". Later Ruth told me she had seen my brief faltering and quick recovery from her vantage point on shore. It didn't matter that we hadn't won, or even came second, we had raced a good race, and our coach was proud of us. I went on to race two more times that day. Each time was easier than the time before, each time I was more nervous than the time before. The last few strokes of the last race I tried harder than I have ever tried anything in my life. I finished the race in a heap in the boat and couldn't pick up my paddle for several minutes. When we walked up from the dock we were greeted by a huge crowd of cheering happy faces, and an arch of paddles had been formed which we walked through. My dream had come true, my vision was a reality. I kept saying to myself "you did it gal, you really did it!" We regrouped and Ruth was so happy with us, and we were all tired and proud. It took an hour before the tears stopped trickling from the corner of my eyes. I really needed to howl, sob, shout for joy, and release all the excitement, fear, and exaltation damned up inside me. What a day! What a life!

Lorraine Krakow