My weekend was burnt rowing the dragon boat at Singapore River. It was the 26th River Regatta organised by the Singapore DragonBoat Association. My 2nd and perhaps my last Regatta race. Regatta also happens to be my favourite race because i love the atmosphere! There are at least a thousand people there i think, made up of secondary school kids, JC and Poly students, undergraduates, old men, young men, fat men, average looking men with not so sexy girlfriends, not so average men with sexy girlfriends etc etc..
In my 1.5 years in dragonboat, some people often ask me why do i choose dragonboat?? Initially, it was out of boredom. There's no excitement, no adrenaline rush in my 1st year in uni, so i crave for some. That's when i decided on dragonboat.
I was one of the 10 rowers chosen to row for one of the more important race - the qualifying race for IVP finals. IVP race are exclusively only for tertiary teams, the polytechnics and the universities. Its either we make it, or we break it. Surprisingly i wasnt at all nervous nor panicky. In fact, i was real excited. I cant wait to start rowing because i want to WIN. While waiting for the buzzer to signal the start of race, i stared straight at the race course, looked at our tall landmark buildings standing impressively behind the ending point. It was a sight which i have strangely never noticed before, and i began to fall in love with the feeling of racing in the singapore river, with the magnificient buildings looking down upon me. For me, that's one of the few reasons why i love the sport :)
People around us keep telling us that the girls team has became stronger, or the team is the strongest ever since established. So naturally, my hopes were quite high. But as the saying goes, the higher the hopes, the greater the disappointment. To me, half of our battle was already lost in day one, and i was terribly discouraged, especially so when we lost our mixed events.
You know, the pain wouldnt be so intense if i werent put down to row for IVP race. But the fact that i was the one rowing, and i was one of those who lose it, makes everything excruciatingly painful. Watching my team mates teared when she learnt that we couldnt qualify for finals was really sad. I know most of us, including those who didnt get to row, has trained hard. Reality has shown us that our efforts were apparently not enough, so this means more effort has to be put in from now on.
Now, i cant wait for June race.
The guys team, on the other hand, made us proud by qualifying into the grand finals!! Though they came in 4th, but in SIM DB history, its already considered an achievement.
I found this shot spectacularly taken by a professional photographer during the grand finals. Its our mens team!!
The ladies team! Our new jersey resembles that of the indonesian team hahha but its one of its kind in SG.
Notice the pattern?
The 2 captains were MIA for quite long so while we were taking a group shot they suddenly popped out from the air and posed! hahah we simply love cam-whoring.
Everyone has been telling me i became skinner blah blah. I never really take those comments seriously until i saw some of the photos that i've taken. I THINK I AM SICK. Seriously, i did become like damn scrawny all of sudden. My shoulder has no flesh and all thats left are the ugly bones. What is wrong with me?? I eat damn alot for a girl okay. I mean, i'm sure anyone who reads this knows my appetite. Soo.. why am i so bony? I was quite sad and was telling wr and he told me to EAT PROTEIN AND TRAIN!!!! If it wasnt over the phone, i would have pinch him till his skin peel off. -.-"
The old man & I. I mean my coach & I
Finally, ending off with a shot of my favourite right rower who secretly wants his gf to bulk like him.
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Our last day of Regatta also happens to be the date in which we lost our 5 rowers a year ago. Now and then, i would still visit Jeremy's blog and read the comments his friends posted. Its still heartbreaking to know the pain they are going through. Lets just hope that time will alleviate the wound inflicted.
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