We are proud of our Outdoor Recreation Officer, Jessica O’Keeffe who was chosen to bring a dragon boat team from Ireland to China.
The Celtic Dragons competed in the Ning Cheng International Dragon Boat Open, in China last week.
The Celtic Dragons raced in 35 degrees heat in distances of 200m, 500m and 2000m. China TV broadcast this event to an audience of 1.4 billion.
Jess’s team made a 500m final and finished 4th!
90% of the crew were women. Other crews capsized in the conditions, but the Celtic Dragons managed to stay afloat.
Besides being team leader, Jess raced in two of the events herself.
Dragonboating is over 2000 years old and Jess would say it is one of the world’s most exciting sports! We are lucky in Clare to have the club Shannon Dragons right on our doorstep!
Competing in the home of dragonboating, China, was an incredible awe inspiring experience. I am filled with pride for the wonderful people on my team and the amazing people we met during the competition.