The 9th Annual Saint Martin’s University Dragon Boat Festival was held at the Port Plaza in Olympia, Wa. on Saturday April 26, 2014. There was a total of 42 teams that competed in the festival with a race course of 250 meters.
This was the team’s very first race together after going through a difficult couple of years. My husband, Jason and I took over as coaches in September of 2013 after we transferred to Whidbey Island from Jacksonville, Florida. We did everything we could to help in rebuilding the team back up, from boosting up recruitment, to going back to teaching the team the basics, to working on their endurance and power. What used to be a broken team with little confidence became a group of people who came together and worked hard together to reach the one goal they all were hoping for and that was to NOT come in last and finally medal.
AND
That is what they exactly did!! NPS Team Tsunami placed 3rd in their division missing the chance to take 2nd place by 2 hundreds of a second at the SMU Dragon Boat Festival and got a chance to experience and feel what it is like to walk up on stage at the awards ceremony and get their medals!
All the photos below were taken by my daughter, Isla Barlet.
Marshalling for our first heat of the day.
Getting ready to load the boat for our first heat.
Heading to the start line.
and we r off
First heat of the day and we are in 3rd place.
The team was able to take 3rd place in our first heat of the day.
NPS Team Tsunami group photo
2nd heat of the day and closing in on taking 1st place.
Giving it everything to try to take 1st.
NPS Team Tsunami places 3rd in the Intermediate Division and the team’s very first race!
2live 2love 2Laugh 2getfit da life of an island girl 