Young dragon boaters to represent on world stage

By Lethbridge Herald on June 16, 2023.

Herald photo by JUSTIN SEWARD Front row: Liberty Fuentes ,with white cap, and Mia Chalmet and back row Ella Veilleux, with teal shirt, and Sierra Smith are heading off to the World Dragonboat Championships in August.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Four young Dragonboat Association of Southern Alberta members are heading to Thailand to represent Canada on the world stage later this summer.

Mia Chalmet , Ella Veilleux, Liberty Fuentes and Sierra Smith qualified for the national team that will participate at the World Dragonboat Championships.

The four paddlers are the first youth from the city to represent on this stage.

“So getting this opportunity is amazing enough, but if we bring home a medal that will be just the best thing in the whole world,” said Fuentes.

The dragon boaters had to go through intense training in December where they had to pass physical tests such as running, push ups and sit-ups  and paddling.

It was then videos were recorded of testing to send to the Canadian coaches to see if they were physically able to qualify for the national team.

The same testing was done in March to see if improvements were made.

Dragon boaters were then invited to Montreal on May long weekend to do an in-person test before selection were made.

“It’s amazing,” said Fuentus, who will be on the U18 team.

“It’s a great opportunity that I never thought I would ever get.”

Fuentes has been watching You Tube videos of past competitions.

“It’s going to be on the ocean,” she said.

“So the weather can be unpredictable. So in Thailand it rains a lot and like there’s extreme heat, so it’s going to be a lot different than it is here in Lethbridge, which is going to be an insane new experience.”

Chalmet, who will also be on the U18  squad, thinks it’s a great opportunity and she’s excited to represent Lethbridge.

“I went to Japan when I was seven, but other than that I’ve never been to Asia and I’m very excited to experience like a new country, and a new culture and learn about the people from Thailand,” said Chalmet.

“But also it’s just a great overall experience as a youth and I think it’ll help me in the future with like pursuing my goals and being able to set achievable goals.”

With the national team, Chalmet said the training sessions will be harder and longer.

“Right now we train with the Coulee Cruisers and not all the Coulee Cruisers are national level,” said Chalmet.

“But we are a strong team and we’re full of strong and persevering people. But just being able to be surrounded by youth that are similar to myself and have the drive like myself will be great to like experience and to be around, just because I like having things in common with people.”

For Smith, she will be in the U16 category and could be moved up to the U18s if the coaches decides to move her up.

With three other teammates going, it gives her comfort.

“It gives me quite a lot of comfort in knowing that I have like  a bunch of  awesome people around me going with me and that  I’m not going alone like to totally a different place ,” she said.

“Especially when I haven’t even been out of the country yet. So it makes me feel a lot better.”

Smith is really excited to get in the boat and race.

“I’m excited just to have the experience of being with so many other strong and like capable youths,” said Smith.

Veilleux will be on the U16 team.

“It’s definitely nerve-wracking,” she said.

“But it has given me like ‘I can do this’ mentality.”

She is looking forward to connecting with more of the dragon boat community.

The World DragonBoat Championships are Aug. 7-13 in Thailand.

Go Fund Me pages have been set up for Fuentes at https://www.gofundme.com/f/represent-can-in-thailand-for-world-championships, Smith at https://gofund.me/79b45945 and Chalmet at https://gofund.me/329744ef.