Saint Andrews Paddling Club members Pat Barker and Caroline Davies are hoping to get more Saint Andrews residents involved in dragon boat racing this year with the club's addition of a second dragon boat.

We will not only be able to get more people in the water with a second boat, we will be able to race each other," says Barker who is the coach of the team. Barker has had experience coaching the American dragon boat women's team in the past and has also written a book on the ancient sport, which originated in China thousands of years ago. Her extensive experience makes her a tremendous asset to the burgeoning Saint Andrews Paddling Club, which hopes to soon also host a dragon boat festival in Saint Andrews--an event which could easily attract many teams fromn across North America to Southwest New Brunswick to compete. 

In the meantime, the local club is content to spend their time working as a team during bi-weekly practices at Katy's Cove in Saint Andews. Due to the team nature of the sport, dragon boat is a great way for locals to also socialize with one another. Many people join the sport because of its social nature to meet new people and also have a good time and get some exercise. It's not overly strenuous--a good dragon boat team is one that works together more so than it is about muscle. That's what makes it such a fantastic sport for a community like Saint Andrews with a large retired population.

Davies is also on Saint Andrews' Age-Friendly Committee, which aims at making the town more liveable for people of all ages and abilities. She believes dragon boat racing is a sport that appeals to everyone who wants to be a part of a team despite their age and ability level. 

"It's a wonderful sport to build community around because your ability to work with a team is the most important asset you can have on a dragon boat team," says Davies. "Age and ability isn't an issue. We invite anyone who wants to try it to come out and join us."