Just Like Hawaii Five-O

I'm not a really sporty person. I don't really do competative sports (racing people to work on a bike doesn't count because they don't realise it's a race and if they own a bike that is in any way half decent, they'll win because my crappy decathalon £170 job only does a max speed of 20.4 mph... doesn't matter how hard you paddle, if the gears aren't up to it, it's like treading soft water). However last week my friend from Oz convinced me finally to go Dragon Boat racing with her at the local dock in Canary Wharf. So we came back yesterday for our second day out on the boat, for what I fondly have labelled the exercise to "rid me of my flabby northern arms", only to find that the boat club was holding a dragon boat racing charity regatta. And there were loads of teams from big corporate names there like Accenture and Barclays, and all these corporate teams where full of corporate uber fit gym loving employees.

There were 4 heats in all, and the 6 fastest teams would end up in the final. I have to say, unless I nearly drown, I think I've found a fantastic sport I really enjoy. Actually this can't be called a sport cause it's so much fun. You go out on a boat, you race until your arms feel like their gonna drop off (adieu wobbly northern arms!), it's social, you get soaked from the splash of the padles in front, you get yelled at by people telling you to paddle harder, and, in the true spirit of a charity event, as you start to pull away from all the other boats, and you see that you're gonna win by at least a boat length you get to scream "eat our DUST!!". I ask you, what is NOT to love?

To cut a long story short, not only were we the fast boat coming into the final, we were the fastest boat out of the final too! We beat "The Champions" (with a name like that, they had to loose surely?!), and I have finally won my first sporting medal. EVER. At school I wasn't even good enough to get a medal at one of those "everyone gets a medal" days. If only my PE teacher could see me now! That sad girl who couldn't even walk on a gymanstic beam without falling off! The girl who couldn't dribble a ball! Who was one of the slowest kids running around the oval 4 times! Who was part of the year 10 volleyball team who got beat 103-1! HAHA!! I can hold my head up high with me real metalic medal proudly slung around my neck and say "YES! I was in a team in came first for once, I too am worthy!". My sporting accomplishments are done.