IT WAS more than a decade ago that retired Brisbane businessman Ross Boyce had his first dragon encounter.
But this was no fire-breathing behemoth. Rather the 2000-year-old Chinese sport of dragon boat racing, or paddling, as its participants call it.
“I was a ‘ramp husband’ supporting my wife Maggie in her paddling pursuits at Manly (in Sydney),” said Ross, who turns 70 this year.
After paddling for just a few months, Maggie found herself setting up the Manly Dragon Boat Club and recruiting men for an open and mixed crew.
“My next move was to transition to paddler and then to sweep after a shoulder injury,” said Ross, who soon became hooked.
“As with all avid dragon boaters the sport creeps into your life and before you know it you are entwined within its grasp.
The exhilaration of racing at full pace in a 20s crew is amazing and hooks you in.”
The former licensed customs broker and international freight agent has since gone on to become a mentor sweep and coach, running workshops in regional Queensland, as well as travelling the world competing as a mature athlete and heading up Dragon Boat Queensland’s marketing team.
Ross and Maggie – now both members of Brisbane River Dragons, where Maggie is head coach – will be among the hundreds of paddlers aged 12 to over 70 descending on Lake Kawana on the Sunshine Coast for the Australian Dragon Boat Championships (AusChamps) from March 3-8.
Last year more than 2500 people took part in the carnival at Albury-Wodonga, with well over 3000 supporters converging on the city. This year Ross is chairman of the state organising committee working with the Australian Dragon Boat Federation to bring the event to Queensland.
He said dragon boat racing is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness, with many seniors taking it up. In fact, he was one of three advocates behind the push to bring in the senior age division (Senior C) for people aged 60-plus into dragon boat racing in Australia.
“Many of our older members have had sporting injuries from their youth (such as football or netball) and find dragon boat racing can reduce the impact on hips and knees,” Ross said.
“The sport has made inroads in adaptive paddling and at one international competition we race against a team that had blind paddlers.”
He said the social aspect of the sport is what reels many seniors in.
“This sport has brought a new lease of life for many paddlers and has definitely changed their lives. We call our club members our paddling family.”
Ross has many happy memories from his decade in the sport, including visits to places such as Italy, Hong Kong, Hungary, Canada and China.
“Highlights, there have been many, including the wonderful friendships made and opportunities given to me to put back into the sport,” he said.
“In Szeged in Hungary we competed on an Olympic course with dedicated lanes, nose cone starts, electric timing, full live film coverage and large spectator grandstands.
“And Hong Kong Harbour is another exciting venue; the course is the harbour itself and the water conditions are very tricky. It is a real challenge for a sweep to read the water and deal with the conditions.”
This year he will also be the Queensland flag bearer at the AusChamps in acknowledgement of his services to the development of dragon boating in the state.
But for Ross his proudest personal moment was being part of the Senior C crew that brought home five medals – four golds and a silver – from the 2013 World Nations Championships in Hungary.
“As the sweep you are basically captain of the ship, giving instructions to the crew, motivating them to lift their intensity to paddle harder. It is incredibly fulfilling to be part of this.”
