Beth Aldridge

Sports Award

Age:

22

Biography

I am a 3rd year Veterinary Student and I love my course. I have always been passionate about caring for animals, in particular farm and equine, having recently completed a calving placement. The course is very full on, with timetabled study each day from 9:00-17:00 including lectures, self-directed learning and practicals. It has been essential for me to have a hobby away from university for my mental health, and dragon boating has been incredible stress relief.

The Dragon Boat is deeply embedded in China's 'Dragon' culture, with each Boat having an ornately carved dragon's head at the Bow and a tail in the Stern. The Hull is painted with the Dragon's scales. The paddles symbolically represent the claws. In IDBF Sport Racing there are generally 18-20 paddlers per Standard size Dragon Boat and 8-10 paddlers in the Small Boat, plus a drummer and a helm (Steerer). We usually compete in distances of 200m, 500m and 2km but I have also competed in 1km and 7km. There are about 30 teams across England.

I first tried dragon boating in June 2021 at an open day run by the university and I was hooked. I met a lot of great people and our team had a lot of fun racing short distances and participating in boat tug of wars. Myself and a few others went to a full Soaring Dragons training session and I have never looked back. It took a while to settle in as I am not a naturally outgoing person but my team mates soon became family.

My first race was at Manvers Lake and, despite still being very new, I was made to feel welcome and we achieved first in the women's and mixed 200m. Soon after that we went to nationals and I was chosen to stroke the 2nd women's crew which means I sat on front seat and set the rate for the boat. I enjoyed the responsibility and challenge and I was very proud of our crew, with everyone having paddled for less than 6 months.

As a club, Soaring Dragons has achieved a lot of amazing things. We have become the second largest club in the country and in the 2022 season we came 1st in both the women's and mixed leagues. We also won the award for the most improved club.

The biggest highlight of 2022 was Manvers lake where we won every single race, coming away with 5 1st place and 1 3rd place trophies (won by the second women's team). We also raced in Donegal, Ireland and came away with the win. Sadly, our head coach Mike Bushell left us this year but we are so grateful for what he has built at Soaring Dragons.

In 2021 I attended some BNTS sessions which introduce paddlers to the Great Britain team and training before trials. I did not, however, trial as I did not feel ready and had not trained in an O1 for time trials. I did, however, really enjoy these sessions and learn a lot.

My Great Britain journey properly began late 2022 and I attended all the BNTS sessions until trials in February 2023. I have trained hard paddling 6 and weightlifting 3 times a week which has been tough but I have made lots of friends along the way. It has also given me so much more self confidence and I love seeing my progress.

I have successfully gained a place in the Great Britain Premier Dragon Boat Squad to race at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Pattaya, Thailand this summer. We will be running a small boat women's and a small boat mixed crew. Our squad is represented from paddlers across the country from Durham all the way to London. We now have 7 training weekends across the country from Liverpool to Wraysbury. I get on really well with my new team mates and it is fun to attend different club races across the country and know other people.

I cannot wait to continue my GB journey and I am so grateful to Joe Humphries Memorial Trust for my Inspire Award. It will make a massive difference towards both training and competition costs including kit, accommodation and travel. I hope to do everyone proud :)