Community Grants Program.

Two years ago, Mel Clarkson was searching for a water-based sport in her local area when she came across dragon boating; a team sport that sees crews of up to 20 paddlers (10 for small boats), plus a sweep and drummer, compete in races over various distances.

Encouraged by social media to try it out, dragon boating quickly became Mel’s passion, and in just a few weeks’ time, she’ll be representing the Auroras Australian National Dragon Boat Team at the 17th World Dragon Boat Racing Championships (WDBRC) in Germany, including paddling for the inaugural Paradragons crew. This special crew is made up of individuals living with various medically diagnosed impairments, showcasing the true spirit of resilience and teamwork.

With dragon boating completely self-funded, Zeal Futures has come on board to support Mel by covering the interpreter costs of the trip through our Community Grants Program.

Mel, who is profoundly deaf, will be joined by Kathe, an interpreter and experienced paddler who understands the dynamics of dragon boating. While she likely won’t be on the boat with Mel during the races, Kathe will be with Mel during team debriefs both before and after racing to help plan what to execute during the races.

“Receiving this funding means so much to me. It allows me to be fully included as a member of the Paradragons Team, where I can actively participate in training and racing,” Mel said.

“The support enables me to receive valuable coaching feedback to improve my paddling and racing techniques. Having an interpreter present during pre- and post-race debriefs is also essential – ensuring I receive the same critical information as my teammates, helping me feel equally prepared and confident.”

Between work, study, and family commitments, Mel has a busy weekly training schedule, including training in Newcastle three days a week, training in Sydney every weekend, and three days at the gym for strength training and rowing.

While the Paradragons team are learning as many signs and gestures as they can, Mel said she must always be on high alert, as she is unable to hear the sweep or drummer. Depending on where she is positioned on the boat, Mel has developed different strategies to ensure she is aware of the team’s movements.

Lately, she has been training as the co-stroker, which is the front-row position next to the lead stroker. Co-stroker sits on the right side of the boat, while the lead stroker is on the left side. In this position, Mel uses her peripheral vision to be in line with the lead stroker.

Other times she sits in the 2nd or 3rd row behind the strokers where she watches closely the paddlers sitting in front, beside and diagonally, ensuring all four are paddling synchronically.

“I must be on high alert all the time and watch my paddlers when it comes to racing. I can tell when it’s about to kick off when they are in place, then a little body shift like in running when they say “on your marks,” signals we are about to race,” Mel explained.

“I honestly have no idea what is called out in dragon boating though! I’ve never had the chance to ask!”

“I sometimes have inner intuition to navigate what we need to do, as I’ve trained for this for the past 2 and half years with my local club. I rely more on counting strokes to know that we are going to shift to “power” or “dig deeper”. Paying attention to their paddles/body language, or the way the boat shifts, tells me they’ve gone into ‘power’ or ‘take it home’ mode when I know it’s near the finishing line.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the Zeal Futures Community Grants Program for supporting my journey and making this inclusive experience possible.”

If you would like to make a donation to support Mel and the Auroras on their road to the World Championships, please click here.