A member of Durham’s local dragon boat racing club, Three River Serpents, will be heading out to Thailand in August to race for their country in the sport’s bi-annual international championships.
Stephen Roe, 32, an Operations Manager, from Bishop Auckland will be racing as part of Team GB against competitors from across the world. He has been dragon boating since November 2021 and got into the sport because a friend convinced him to try it out, since then he has been hooked!
“I would never have thought that from something I’d got into as a once a week hobby would lead to a spot on Team GB,” he said. “October last year was my first ever experience racing and that was at national level. I turned up for the trial thinking I wouldn’t be selected based on my lack of experience, nevertheless, I turned up and gave it my best and here we are. In dragon boating it doesn’t matter where you’ve come from or how much experience you’ve got; everyone’s welcome and it’s all about working together as a team. If you put the work in, anything’s possible!”
Alongside a packed training schedule, the squad are trying to raise funds to help meet the cost of entry into the championships. This includes essential kit and entry fees as well as travel and accommodation costs for every training weekend and the championships themselves – a total of nearly £3,000 per person. Funds are raised through a combination of donations and sponsorships, with a number of sponsorship opportunities available for businesses. The international championships will take place in Pattaya, Thailand, from Monday 7 to Sunday 13 August.
Three River Serpents is based in Durham at Durham Amateur Rowing Club and always welcomes new members, with or without sporting experience. For more information visit their website.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
